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22nd
November 2003
A very big hello to my friends and idlebrainers,
 Hope
this mail reaches you in your best spirits. First of all
I want to thank you all for the love and support you have
shown me through my film. I can humbly say I have had
success and I got to thank you for all that. I have been
planning to thank all the people who have been directly
or indirectly influencing my success for a long time and
I thought why not write it in idlebrain.com, it is a popular
site and many people visit it. And if this letter gets
posted I got to thank Jeevi for putting it up. Jeevi has
been asking for an interview and I had a very hard task
of saying no to him. I am very nervous while giving interviews,
so here goes about what you would want to know about me.
 I
always wanted to get into film industry since a kid. Ever
since I remember I have been watching my dad putting on
make-up and going to shooting and all three of us(my sister
Lakshmi, me and brother Manoj) would wave Dad bye every
morning as he left for his work. Never had I the slightest
idea I would also be acting and my sister, brother and
even MOM would be sending me off to shooting everyday.
I was branded as a boy who was destined to become an IPS
officer or some MBA graduate by all my relatives and of
course Dad. I deeply wanted to act but never had the guts
to tell dad that I wanted to be an actor, though he gave
me the freedom to choose the career I wanted to pursue.
I might the biggest introvert you will ever find in this
planet. Well that's what my sister tells me all the time.
Well, even now I am an introvert in many aspects; I am
the kind of guy who cannot ask the air hostess for cotton
to plug my ears while traveling on the plane. Even now
if you ask me to go up to a girl and ask her name, I will
not be able to do it. I am dead shy when it comes to talking
to women. I often keep wondering now, how the hell I landed
up in front of the camera. If you ask me how I managed
to come, I would be clueless to tell you. I would ask
you to ask that question to my Dad. Many of them had asked
me don't I feel new that I am in the Film industry now,
for all of them I want to tell that I don't feel new because
I was born in the film industry and I feel perfectly at
home.
 First
when it was decided that I was getting into movies, I
was sent to Bombay to get trained in acting in a film
institute in the beginning of 2002. When I was there,
my sister called me up and asked me if I wanted to get
into the acting institutes in Hollywood and I said yes.
She spoke to dad and even before I knew it I was in universal
studios, Los Angeles and I was among the aspirants of
Hollywood. I got trained there for a couple of months
in acting and then I wanted to return to India when my
sister told me to learn more than just acting. I decided
to learn dancing and martial arts. To make it short, I
got into dancing in the American dance force company and
learnt to dance, and then I learnt martial arts and gymnastics
in a studio and then I met Tim Storms who worked for movies
like "Matrix", "Matrix Reloaded" and
Jet li's "Cradle to the grave" and now presently
working for "Spiderman 2". I requested him to
teach me all the film techniques in fighting and he did.
Tim is one person I cannot forget in my life becos he
made me do things I thought it was impossible. Back flips,
Somersaults in air, high falls and more. Then I worked
on the sets of matrix reloaded and learnt a lot. Tim agreed
to teach me and we rented the Olympic gym for 2 hours
daily and he taught me. And daily my schedule was like
this. Morning I had to wake up at 4.30 and jog to my gym
which was 3 miles away, after the gym I used to jog back
and get ready and then go to my direction classes in UCLA.
At around 10.30 I would again start my journey to Tim
and to reach him I had to take 2 buses and then run for
2 miles becos there was no bus service to that place and
I didn't have a license to drive a car. I had to carry
a bag with a video camera and stand, a change of clothes,
shoes and run. After the class Tim was kind enough to
drop me at the bus stand and my journey home started.
Then at around 2.30, I would go to my dance classes and
finish it by 5.30 and go straight to my gym and then back
home at 8 and go to my screenplay classes at 9 at the
University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) and be back
home by 11 or 11.30. I stayed in LA for 10 months and
I don't think I can ever forget the stay. Nor can I forget
the love and support my family had given me when I was
training. My sister was so patient with me and put up
with all the nonsense I used to do. My mom was forever
cooking there all the time because I used to invite my
trainers and friends there to come and taste Indian food
and man, she hated it. Scolding me on one end she still
used to cook for all of them. It isn't an easy job for
cooking without help, for 6 members at home plus additional
guests I used to get. I forgot to tell you, my entire
family was there, my Dad, Mom, (sis and bro Manoj were
already in US studying for 4 years) and another member
of the family, Rajinikanth uncle, was also with us for
nearly couple of months. Dad and Rajini uncle used to
drop me sometimes at the gym or martial arts place. Rajini
uncle used to tell me to be confident all the time and
he always used to encourage me. He watched the premier
of "Vishnu", and he rang me and told me "Vishnu,
you are the biggest plus for the movie, you exceeded my
expectations. Keep it up." I was thrilled and very
happy to be complimented from him. He asked me how I was
feeling about my performance and I told him I could have
done better but I was curious to know how Dad felt about
my acting. For that he told " Your father is pleased
with the way you have done, He told me that and I know
he will not tell you. Trust me, he is happy" and
I ask you what more do I need to hear?
After
my hardcore training, I came back to India at the year
end of 2002.
The
entire time I was there and till the date of release of
"Vishnu" I spent sleepless nights thinking about
the release. Serious I could never sleep. I used to talk
to myself and all my friends used to scold me for getting
worked up like this. I was too excited and also scared
of, how would I look on screen and what would the critics
say and stuff like that. Now after the release I am much
at ease now. My biggest fear was that whether I would
be able to live up to Dad's expectations and image.
 Now
coming to Dad, I would like to tell one thing. I don't
know if there another life after death, but if there is
I would do anything to be born as my dad's son again.
I haven't seen god but if you ask me to show my God, I
will show you my Dad and Mom. Every drop of blood in my
body is pledged to my parents. My Dad has been and is
and will be forever my source of pride, courage, and self
respect. He is my role model. He taught me everything
I can dream of. He never said no to anything we asked
him for. I don't know what I have done to deserve such
wonderful dad and mom. Dad is widely misunderstood by
many and I don't intend to clear that now. Yes, dad is
famous for his temper but hey who doesn't have temper.
He just takes nonsense from no one and many people don't
like it. What many people don't know is that he can get
angry at the snap of your fingers and never has his temper
lasted for more than 2 minutes. And only these two minutes
of anger has been popular. He is the most delicate and
softest person at heart you would ever known. People close
to him know that and so do the thousands of School, Degree,
Engineering and Postgraduate students and staff who study
and work in Dad's Institutions, Sree Vidyanikethan, know
that. Dad is this traditional father who believes "A
daughter is like a flower; treat her delicately. A son
is like a stone hammer him to perfection". And of
all three of us, he has a very soft corner for sister
and she gets away with almost anything. In fact with everything.
Manoj is the super brat who gets into all kind of mischief
you can imagine. And there were many incidents in school
days when I was in deep trouble because of Manoj. Till
date Dad has not told me straight face how I have performed
in "Vishnu" but I have heard from others that
he is proud of the way I acted. There was one incident
when he actually told me I did a good job and I thought
I was going to faint. It was when the movie was getting
censored and we were waiting outside and he heard the
song, "Ravoyi chandamama" and he was walking
ahead and he called me. I went forward and he took my
arm into his and he said looking straight "Vishnu,
you have done a very good job in this song. I never expected
you would be able to do this good. Keep it up" and
immediately he cleared his throat and left my hand and
told me, still looking ahead "hrrrmppp! I won't tell
this to you again" and he went back talking to the
co-directors. It was a moment of immense joy for, getting
a credit from dad. And I felt I did my job well.
 People
have said I have done a good job for my debut. But I feel
I could have done better. I read the review Jeevi wrote
about "Vishnu" and I thank him for the true
honest review and of course his remark that "On
the flip side, he should reduce some weight and develop
a six-pack body to compliment his amazing height and excellent
body language" made me smile becos he wrote what
everyone has been asking me to do. Lose weight. I definitely
will and I have already lost a little bit. The hero you
have seen in the film "Vishnu" had lost 22 kilos
since Jan 2002 till Feb. 2003. And now I intend to lose
more weight and try the most difficult and sought after
"6-pack". I got to lose weight very soon because
of two reasons, one is because my next movie will be starting
soon and two because my Dad who is in shape all the time
looks like a rock star, and still gets compliments that
he looks better than me or Manoj from everyone. And one
more because Manoj is getting into films.
 Till
date I am not scared of competition nor do I feel threatened
by other actors' presence and nor will I ever be, but
I am slightly tensed because Manoj is coming into the
industry. If you think I have acted well in Vishnu, wait
till you see Manoj. I feel he has got a natural Talent
for acting more than me and he will be the only actor
I am looking out as my competition for I know what he
is capable of. And this is purely my view.
 I
think I better sign off now, I have nearly taken a lot
of your time. Before I sign off, I would like to thank
the director of this film Mr.Shaji Kailas and also the
Cinematographer Mr.Sravanan and every unit member including
the dancers and fighters who had helped me so much in
the sets of "Vishnu". I would like to thank
all my classmates and batch mates in School and Engineering
who are now all over the world in different walks of life,
for their encouraging letters and phone calls. And also
thanks to my friends in the industry, Aryan Rajesh, Naresh,
Allu Arjun, Rajiv Kanakala and our generation NTR (Tarak,
as I call him since we were kids) for their words of encouragement.
I remember Tarak who is like my younger brother, coming
home one day late night and telling me "Anna, I don't
care how the movie fared, but my hero has got a good name"
it made me feel very good. Aryan Rajesh still makes fun
of that I will forget all my friends that I am a film
star now. Allu Arjun is still behind my back asking me
to lose weight. I wish we all be the same friends we are
today till the end of time and not let the famous industry
egos touch anyone of us. Also thanks to Rajkumar, Ashok,
Satish, Gaja, Hema Anna, Suresh, Mani, Rajasekhar, Kalyan,
Pavan, Rohit, Ravi(Bozo), Vijay, Yamini akka and Revathi
akka who are my childhood friends and my best critics
and also some of them happen to work for my companies
(ThinkSmart and 24 frames factory) now. Most of all, to
the scores of Andhralites who have blessed me.
 Also
I would like to thank my elders such as Dasari Narayana
Rao uncle, B.Gopal uncle, EVV uncle, Kodandarami Reddy
uncle and Raviraja uncle for patiently listening to me
direct them for a promo for the Vishnu movie. (I was sooo
nervous asking them to do what I wanted). Special Thanks
to Dasari uncle, without whom my favorite song "Ravoi
Chandamama" wouldn't have been shot.
 It
would be silly of me to thank my Dad and Mom. I owe them
my life and I would like to tell them that I Love them
very much. And same to my Sister and Brother (God! I hate
to accept this). The encouragement I still get from my
sister counts a lot for me even now. She puts me in the
place where I belong and always reminds me never to show
off (I hate it when she keeps picking on me). There are
times when she still beats me up and scratches me with
her nails and pull my hair if I don't listen to her. My
mom always breaks up our fight. This is my family. I don't
know how I would have fared without the love of affection
of my family and people like you who are reading this
letter. I have just started my journey into life and I
have to achieve a lot and I wish to do so with the blessings,
love and support from my family and people like you and
the people of Andhra Pradesh.
I
will meet you again at the release of my next movie or
before that. Till then I would ask you to get ready to
face me, once again. Thank you for your love and support.
Adios Amigo.
-
Vishnu
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