'I spent my vacations on shooting locations'

Actor Chiranjeevi Sarja grew up in family with a film lineage which fuelled his childhood interest in movies

I have a feeling that 2020 is going to be lucky for me because a host of my films will release this year.

My latest film ‘Aadyaa’, which will release on February 21, is a thrilling story of a young businessman who comes to Bengaluru in search of a child.

The film has action, adventure and drama and has many edge-of-the-seat moments. The title is the name of a child but why the child becomes the central theme lends curiosity to the story.

As an actor, I have always chosen films that are performance-oriented and have a strong subject. I have always chosen quality over quantity but there was a phase when I didn’t have any work. That’s when I decided to take up more films while remaining choosy about the content.

People often ask me if my decision to become an actor was a natural progression. I tell them that I spent most of my vacations at shooting locations, thanks to my uncle (Arjun Sarja) who is an actor. I grew up amid conversations centred around films. I later studied filmmaking but realised that practical lessons were far more enriching than theory classes. I often get compared to my uncle and I consider it a privilege to be equated to an actor of such great stature. It makes me feel more responsible to live up to the expectations of people.
The Kannada film industry has changed from when I began my career. Last year saw the release of more than 240 films; about seven to eight films released in a week.

However, I find that more people prefer to watch other language films over Kannada movies. I wonder why nobody likes to watch Kannada films. Though OTT platforms are a big competition to the film industry, we hope the charm of watching a movie in the theatre doesn’t fade away.

My craze for films goes back to my childhood. I completed my schooling at Baldwin Boys’ High School and Kumarans and later went to Vijaya Junior College.

I watched at least two or three films daily after school. I also managed to make a bunch of friends in college who shared an equal craze for films. We would all watch films together and the tradition still continues.

I cherish my time spent with my old buddies and I am most comfortable in their company.

Another childhood interest that I continue to indulge in is collecting coins and currency notes from across the world. Every currency has a story behind it.

And being a student of history, I enjoy reading and researching on the currency and its origin. However busy I may be, I make time for my hobby.

(As told to Nina C George)