Oaksmith packaged drinking water and Country Delight presents
'Jayammu Nishchayammu Raa' with me, Jagapathi.
Co-powered by Vijay JB Infra Private Limited,
Continental XTRA, Merino Laminates,
Jar App and Asian Paints.
Celebration partner, Ibaco.
Special partner, Macho Hint.
Fashion partner, The Arvind Store.
Associate sponsor, Telugu Matrimony.
With every day, you are showering me with more love.
That makes me feel more responsible.
I can't help it. Thank you...
Okay. Now let's get down to business.
Can you guess today's guest?
He's someone with full of dreams.
He gives his everything
no matter what he does.
'R', 'A', 'M'.
'Romantic Andhra Man!'
Our dearest, Ram Pothineni!
'Smart Shankar!'
I want you to remember this. Sarcasm runs in his blood.
These are your pictures!
I haven't seen them before. They are from my childhood.
There's this problem with me. I can't hold anything in.
I have to throw it out, you see.
It's a clarification-cum-confession.
I want to clarify something today. - Done.
I thought Ram Pothineni was someone with an arrogant attitude.
It was my genuine opinion. - Okay.
Well, from whatever I could gather from our short meetings.
I didn't know anything about you. But that was my opinion.
But there was a change of heart last night. Because of your
interviews, energy levels, and the way you tease women.
What?
It came across like ragging in college. - It's not me, AI, sir.
After watching your interviews, I realised you were very sportive.
I came to that conclusion. So, let's have fun.
You were born in Hyderabad, grew up in Vijayawada and Chennai. - Yeah.
How did this happen? - A lot of people don't know this.
But... I was born in Hyderabad.
It was my mom's place. My father's family is based out of Vijayawada.
I think after I was born... I was born in 1988.
About that time there was a caste-riot, you know.
I mean, at Vijayawada.
My dad was pretty well off. We were doing really well.
Dad had just come back from Japan. Business trip and all...
Our family lost everything in that riots. Overnight, became zero.
So, we decided to move out of there.
We left everything and went to Chennai.
And started off as a very... From scratch!
That's why I still respect my dad because...
Rags to riches is different.
This is more like, rags to riches, and then to rags.
We moved into a different city and started from scratch again.
It's a very different thing.
I feel not of people can't relate to this.
Either they understand rags to riches story,
or born with a golden spoon one.
I was born with a golden spoon,
and then, lost everything. And then, went back.
For example, in Vijayawada,
the room where my toys were stored was bigger than the house we shifted
to in Chennai. The change was pretty drastic.
My dad doesn't believe in asking favours.
He just does it by himself and all. So... - Okay.
That transition was pretty shocking to me.
I was like four years old when I moved to Chennai.
I grew up in Chennai.
No one asked this before. This is the first time I said... - No.
People wanted to know why we shifted to Chennai.
But it had nothing to do with the film industry.
So, dad started off from the scratch and...
He shifted from television and video games business...
He used to work with Sony company. So, he went to Japan for them.
You know, he started trading. Learnt about stocks and all of that.
I think my dad's salary was around Rs 5000 when he went to Chennai.
We were living a very luxurious life.
There's Labbipet in Vijayawada. We had...
Two buildings with a bridge on the third floor. We lived there.
From a building with skybridge in the heart of Vijayawada
we shifted to a small house in Chennai.
And from there we came back. - Very good.
Well, I didn't know about this.
I wouldn't have asked that question if I knew.
Because this is... I mean...
I think people should know. It's good for them.
Because everyone knows the nature of life. - Yeah.
Ups and downs are inevitable.
I always believe in this. Well, if you go through
an ordeal, what follows is good.
In the whole world, there are only two types of people.
One, who separates, and the other, who brings everyone together.
So, I believe in having more number of people who joins hearts.
I always wanted to be someone that...
I'm a strong believer in humanity.
You have a brother, right? He's a pilot or something.
He was a commercial pilot in Zealand. Now, he's producing.
We dragged him into production. Because we needed some support.
Okay? Okay!
I heard a lot about him. That doesn't mean you're bad.
How can 'Rama' ever be bad?
What's his name? - Krishna.
But you seem to have all his traits.
You take heroines for a ride in interviews. - Only in interviews.
One has to just see the interviews to know what happened during shoots.
Where did you harvest gooseberries?
I'm really surprised to see these pictures of mine from childhood.
They are all yours. - Basically, my cousin sister was pregnant.
Her husband wasn't there.
He went to abroad on work, I guess.
She was alone... We all used to live in the same building.
Since she was alone, we took her out for coffee.
There was this sudden craving and she asked me get some gooseberries.
I had done a few films by the time. So, we were sitting inside.
But she insisted on getting it. - 'I can't go out. There are'
'a lot of people sit there.' - 'Nothing doing. I want it.'
I pretended that I was on phone and, you know...
She was pregnant by the end of the day, you know.
I quietly went to the tree and... I think she clicked a picture also.
That's how it happened.
And then, the manager offered help.
So cute.
Brother's tell us all about this gooseberry story.
'With Ram, I have many funny and memorable incidents.'
'This happened after Devdas. We used to frequent Coffee Day.'
'So... I'm very fond of gooseberries.'
'There was this gooseberry tree at Coffee Day, full of gooseberries.'
'I asked him to get some. So, he pretended that he was phone...'
'and plucked a couple of them.'
'And then, somebody from Coffee Day said,'
'Sir, we will pluck and give them to you.'
'So, we always laughed about it how funny it was.'
'So, Ram, I always think of you as a brother.'
'And the way you are with us and the family,'
'it never reminds us of'
'what an amazing actor you are and how successful you are.'
'And I'm proud of you for the kind of person you turned out to be.'
'All the best and looking forward to all great things in store for you.'
Cousin sister.
How old were you then? - It was went 'Devdas' came out. Sixteen...
You did 'Devas' at sixteen? - I was fifteen then.
I met Mr Chowdary when I was 14.
M S Raju met with me before that.
I think it was for 'Nuvvostanante Nenoddantana'.
I was just 13 then.
I didn't take Mr Chowdary seriously. Because I was just 14 then.
But he asked me to grow a moustache.
Were you able to do that at such a young age?
Fourteen! You were just a kid.
So, it's not your fault at all.
You made a romantic movie when you were just 14.
That's why you were able to continue it this long. It's a good thing.
I just love your ragging. - Stop calling it ragging, please.
I watched you tease Sreeleela.
And then, Anupama.
Barring Genelia and Ileana videos, I watched the rest.
You really teased them to the core. But it was very cute.
Well, people do at least a few movies before going Pan India.
But your very first film went to Hollywood. - Hollywood?
You were born in Hyderabad,
but grew up in Vijayawada and Chennai.
And you studied in Bangalore. - No. Chennai, sir.
You studied in Chennai? - That's not the word for it.
I didn't do any studies, you see.
I went to school in Chennai.
Where did you do your graduation? - I didn't do graduation.
After 11th grade, I went into films. I started doing films at 14.
I heard you used to write exams to get pass marks.
You were so focused on getting into films, right?
Looks like it's inborn.
At the very young age... Well, getting into films at
fourteen or fifteen is an achievement by itself.
You made a short film before that, right?
You were too young and not so well built to make
even a short film. One of them went to Pan India level. - International.
To Europe, I guess. - Yeah...
Tell us about it a little bit.
I told my mom and dad I want to become an actor when I was eight.
Well, they all thought that I want to become
an actor because my uncle is a producer.
So, my parents sat me down and said...
'It's going to cost millions. We aren't going to ask them.'
'Ask him to produce just because you're his nephew.'
I was genuinely hurt. Because I was very passionate about films.
Just because my uncle was a producer they may have interpreted it...
So, when I was eight, I promised my parents.
I was more like a warning, you see.
I told them that if I ever act in my home banner,
it'll only be after proving myself
and having producers waiting to book me.
I was only eight then.
I wanted to prove myself in Tamil. I didn't want to come to Telugu.
What in Tamil? - I wanted to prove myself in Tamil.
Not many people know this.
I used to go for lot of auditions.
You know, how these auditions were.
It was quite different. Because whenever I was in Hyderabad,
at Sravanthi Office, there would be a room full of pictures.
You know, filled with aspiring actor's portfolios.
And I used to see at least 50 aspirants outside the office.
Especially, at that time, my uncle was a big producer.
'Nuvvu Naaku Nachav', 'Nuvve Nuvve', 'Nuvve Kavali'.
He had given back-to-back hits.
That was the scene at Hyderabad.
But I used to give auditions at Chennai.
One of the guys when I was at a modelling agency...
I was there to make a portfolio.
This guy wanted to make a short film.
This was in the year 2000. I didn't know what a short film was.
YouTube was founded in 2006.
So, you can imagine the situation then.
That movie was shot with a proper camera and other equipments.
He worked very hard for it. He was a producer, too.
That went to Europe Film Festival.
In Switzerland, there was 120 films from 60 different countries.
I got the best actor award.
I got offers from a lot of Tamil producers after this short film.
Mr Shankar had just got into production.
He had made 'Kaadhal' by then. And then, Oscar Ravichandran,
the producer of Aparichithudu. He wanted to introduce me.
I was flooded with offers.
I had done one short film then.
It wasn't easy to make unlike now.
It was very difficult to explain people what a short film was.
It was a problem then. The film length was 42 mins.
Friends would go, 'Are you doing a film?' - Me, 'Yes, it's 42 mins.'
'What about the rest?' - 'There's no rest. It's only 42 mins long.'
When is it getting released? - During festival.
Then they would ask me, 'On Deepavali or Dussehra?'
'Neither. It will get released only in Film Festivals.'
It was very difficult for me
to explain the concept of short films back then.
I wanted to prove myself in Tamil.
I almost signed a couple of films.
M S Raju garu came to me after watching the short film.
But he went back after knowing my age was only 13.
And then, I almost signed another Tamil film in Chennai.
That's when Mr Chowdary offered to introduce me.
And I didn't take him seriously.
I had met with a lot of people. I didn't want to get into Telugu.
I wanted to prove myself in Tamil first.
But I said okay to him.
And he thought I'm doing his film.
I continued with that film.
He phoned and went, 'I told you I'm going to introduce you.'
'What are you doing?'
I said, 'I meet a lot of people, but nothing materialises.'
'I want to prove myself in Tamil.'
He flew to Chennai again because of what I said to him.
He asked me hang up and flew to Chennai. It was a 4 am meeting.
He was staying in a guest house.
I went to see him at 4 am.
He said, 'Are you aware of my body of work?'
But I explained him my situation.
He went, 'I'm going to produce. You don't have to worry about it.'
How old were you? - I was 11 then.
Eleven? - Yeah.
A baby...
This is one of the most high moments in life.
After 'Devdas', I did 'Jagadam'. Even though 'Jagadam' bombed,
I had offers from a lot of producers and directors.
I mean, top most producers.
I was spending some time with my uncle...
My uncle has always been a backbone for my career...
I was affected adversely after 'Jagadam'. I was a 17 year old.
I think I was 18 back then.
I was like, how could such a good film not do well at the box office.
I was young. I was only 18, you know.
I didn't do films for a year.
I was sitting at home, figuring out...
I was watching 'Nuvvu Naaku Nachav' on TV.
And then, thought about making a film for families,
you know, something that you can watch whenever it's on TV.
Then, I had a chat about it with my uncle.
He went, 'Let's do something interesting and a family film, too.'
That's when I went and told my mother.
'See, it's not like I don't have any producers. There are so many.'
'This guy and that one, too.'
'Now, I want to do it for my home banner.'
'Like I said when I was eight. That's what...'
That was a high moment in my life.
Ready was a first film for my home banner.
You got your revenge. - No...
I mean, you proved yourself. - It's more of...
Despite giving your everything,
people would give credit to something else.
You know, it's always been like...
Even my life if you see, as I told you a while ago,
people relate to the stories of rags to riches.
People also relate to born with a golden spoon.
For me, it was like riches to rags to riches.
So, this is what nepotism is. For example...
I'm considered a nepo kid.
But nepo kids have a lot of attention.
But for my first film, 'Devadasu', it took 47 days for people
to come to theatres and talk about it.
No one came to watch my film.
It's one of a kind film, where it picked up on 47th day onwards
and it was re-released.
I'm considered a nepo-kid, but no.
I'm considered rich, but no.
It has been a very...
It's difficult for people to understand where I come from.
One thing I know about life is everything happens for a reason.
Whatever happened to you in childhood,
helped you become smarter... - Yeah.
And think harder, you became very passionate.
At the age of about 12, you started your career. - Yeah...
I mean, your film journey started then.
Whether it's a short film, or other films,
the discussions on 'Devadasu'.
Accepting the failure of 'Jagadam'.
Well, all these events and incidents
are lessons which really helped you to become a proper star.
That's the way it works.
Everything happens for a reason.
I'm very glad it all happened.
Shaped me who I am. - Yeah. Exactly.
This didn't surprise me, but...
I heard that you turn off your phone go away if you need a break.
I don't turn off my phone. I own multiple phones an numbers.
I don't know my numbers by heart to be honest.
I randomly pick up a phone and leave.
So, the phone I take with me may not have Whatsapp in it.
I like to disconnect and go off. Go off abroad.
Not as a traveller. I want to go live there.
I'm interested in knowing their culture.
Because of lack of education,
I understood the importance of exposure.
I read this as a kid.
'Education teaches you two plus two is four.'
'But exposure will also let you know that'
'three plus one can also become four.'
'Five minus one can also become four.'
I mean, there is more than one way to do things.
That's what exposure is. - Superb!
That always fascinated me, you know.
Learning about people.
Doing all of that. Living a different life.
To the point where... I respect and I...
I mean, we don't appreciate our life.
We kind of take it for granted.
But once you go out and spend some time
elsewhere and return, you'll appreciate a lot of things.
And also, there's a lot of calculations here.
I mean who am I as a human being?
Well, not as an actor, but as a human being, am I a good person?
Whether people like me or not? I wanted to carry out that test.
Just live by myself. Meet random people.
I introduce myself as a student. I still do that.
I like to travel, get to know myself.
Stay in touch with reality and then, come back.
You were not just travelling.
I think you were travelling inside. - Yeah.
Into yourself. - Yes. It's more of a journey...
You've learnt a lot through those exposures.
That is knowledge again.
Perspectives... - Perspectives and everything.
See, we play so many roles in our life.
I don't mean, film roles. - Yeah.
We see a lot of interesting characters around us.
And you get a lot of pointers from
watching people. Okay, this is how they live.
We get to know how they live and behave.
It brings a lot of peace to us. Our understanding is different.
For example, there is a very beautiful experience
a lot of people can relate to.
When the film, 'Devadasu' came out...
It was a blockbuster. We didn't know how and why.
Mr Chiranjeevi asked to watch the movie once.
Mr Chowdary always told me one thing.
'Don't relax because the movie is a hit.'
'You are not a star's son.'
'Every film is your first film.'
'You have to prove yourself with every film of yours.'
'It would have been different if you were a star kid.'
I came to terms with it.
I didn't have any intentions to prove anything.
I was all about enjoying things while I am there.
Charan hasn't been introduced yet.
I was sitting down with Mr Chiranjeevi.
Charan was there too.
We have to get introduced, right? I was feeling a lot of pressure.
The debut film was a hit.
Generally
I wish I also had a father like that.
I would have been introduced well.
I was actually feeling bad for him.
I have no pressure. I am simply enjoying my time.
He is facing a lot of pressure
to introduce his son. Charan is facing a lot of pressure.
When people talk about nepotism,
even though I am not a part of that...
I feel that I am not a part of that.
My perspective has always been very different.
I feel sad when I think about the pressure they have been facing.
It all comes down to perspective and how you look at things.
Not a lot of people understand that as well.
That was very beautiful. People also need to know about that.
You know your films.
I shouldn't be asking this question.
I am just like you. You don't party much.
No one spots you at any parties.
You have no interest.
What is the thought behind that?
There is no thought.
We feel energetic when we are doing something we like.
I feel that there is no energy when I go to parties.
I can shoot four days non-stop. I will have the energy.
The thought of getting dressed for a party after work...
Okay.
Basically, that's not in you.
Yeah. I don't like it. I don't like the crowd.
Even if I don't go to a party, I invite the host home the next day.
I like one-on-one interactions more.
There will be an honest conversation.
I heard you were a chef. - I wouldn't call myself a chef.
I like cooking.
You do have a kitchen set-up in your flat.
When I was abroad, I had to cook for myself.
In my entire career, I took four breaks
which were almost one year each.
Many people made many comments.
I have never lived my life like that.
I disconnect and go abroad. I do my own laundry.
I cook my own food
I cook my own meals. I like to learn all those things.
That's how it began. I wouldn't call myself a chef.
Nice.
Okay, that's very cute.
Being a star, you are an ordinary man.
No ordinary man is ordinary.
The other talent you have is writing the lyrics of the songs.
Writing the lyrics...
Very cute. I looked at it last night.
It was very nice.
How did you get into writing the lyrics?
People who are in love tend to find this interesting.
How many exes do you have? How are you writing those lyrics?
You are feeling shy.
No, I would feel shy when they cheer like that.
Their cheers are making you shy.
I am happy that a lot of people felt that way.
'Andhra King Thaluka' has been a very
different experience for me as an actor and an audience.
As a star too. You could probably relate to it.
Who are they? Why are they admiring us so much?
Why are they prioritising us over their family?
We feel the guilt at times.
We kind of go along with it generally.
We always go back to a small thought of guilt.
What is the relationship between a star and a fan?
I always had that question on my mind.
I was always vocal about it.
This film answered that question.
It changes the way I see a film.
For the first time in my life
I took up a film because I want to put this story out there.
Everyone needs to watch this film.
The kind of characters he has written...
Especially the character Sagar. It is a biopic of a fan.
We were planning on discussing with the lyricist.
I was wondering how to express my feelings about all of this.
I wrote a reference and took it to him.
Mahesh said, 'Sir, these are the lyrics'.
It was all about what the character goes through.
I was able to find that character through that song.
By the end of the day, I was clarified about the casting.
It didn't happen yet.
That's why this is happening.
That was a very beautiful experience.
I took it as a reference. Mahesh took them up as lyrics.
You have such serious creativity. You have seen the world.
Where does romance fit in your life?
Romance is not in the equation. - No?
That's why I show glimpses of those in the film.
Romance is only for the movies. What about your marriage?
Marriage and natural calamities
are not in our hands. It happens of its own accord.
Does it mean something is going on?
You stop at the ragging.
Only until 6.
I pack up after 6.
6 am? - No, 6 pm.
This is a family show, isn't it?
You are a family hero.
Okay, let's go back to your film. 'Andhra King Thaluka'.
Before we do that, what's the deal with cheesa peez?
Why are you laughing? There must be something. Tell us.
I am fond of pizza ever since I was a child.
I went to Vijayawada once.
All of my cousins were gathered.
I think it was my sister. I don't remember very well.
'Pizza cheese. Pizza cheese.' That's our thing.
When you say it repeatedly, it becomes a tongue twister.
By the time we went there, the man asked, 'What do you want?'
We panicked and said, 'Cheesa peez'.
That's what we have been calling it ever since.
More of an inside joke.
Who is your stylist, Ram? - Sir?
Does your style have more of your involvement?
I have been doing it by myself most of the time.
You can write the lyrics. You can style your outfits.
I heard you are writing stories.
I keep writing something for fun.
You won't write it for fun. Direction must be on your mind.
Direction is the most torturous job.
When I look at the directors, I feel bad for them.
They are passionate about directing a film.
95% of what they do is about managing everyone around.
5% is about them directing the film.
People who actually want to direct have to go through a lot
to do what they want. - I am proud of them.
Directors are called the 'Captain of the ship' for a reason.
Directors won't just be thinking about 24 crafts.
They have about 80 crafts on their minds.
They think about everything.
I worked with Mahesh as well.
He is a good kid. He is sensible as well.
From all the interviews I have seen about the combination
of music and the way it is coming out
I think it is going to be a blockbuster.
I have a good feeling.
You will truly become the king of Andhra.
I hope that you do. But who is the queen of Telangana?
Basically, the movie is set in the 2000s.
That's why we called it 'Andhra King Thaluka'.
Many people asked about that. Our producers were a little
sceptic about Andhra and Telangana. The movie is set in the 2000s.
We all danced to a song called 'Made In Andhra Student'.
I am asking about the heroine. Who is the heroine?
I am trying to adapt a sly technique to divert the topic.
Who is the heroine? - Bhagyashree Bhosle.
Is she just the heroine? Or is there an extension to that?
No, just the heroine.
You have your poker face on.
Everyone is reacting like this because of the song.
Okay. Riteish and Genelia are your close friends.
What are the common points where you connected?
Genelia was the first star I worked with.
The other women I worked with were newcomers.
There is a homely aspect to it.
It was more like a family kind of bonding.
We expect stars to have a tantrum.
She was a top star in all four languages with blockbuster movies.
I don't think we ever... We kept talking about it.
I don't think we have ever worked with someone who is
so production-friendly, and who is so concerned
with the production and the shooting.
People would enjoy it if the shoot was cancelled due to rain.
Not many people show concern.
That's why I connected and bonded with her as a family.
We have been a family ever since.
Ram, of course...
Everyone doesn't have to know about everything.
But you have complete control of your life.
Okay. No one knows much about your life.
Let it be your background. We don't see many people.
No one talks about anyone related to you.
It is a very good thing. I appreciate that.
But we are curious.
The audience is curious. I am, too.
We are curious about this generation.
You live in an apartment all by yourself. - Yes.
There were never any confirmed news about your affairs.
There were only whispers about hearsay.
There must have been an affair. Or there is one now. I am not sure.
I won't say it out loud even if I know about that.
Okay.
Would you like to say something? Do you have any affairs or not?
Sir, all of my life, there are talks about what
I might have said or done. Everything is hearsay.
No one knows anything unless they really know me.
I like to keep my life private.
When it comes to relationships
I think we need to respect other people.
It is not just your story to tell.
You have to respect others.
They might or might not be comfortable.
I like to keep things private.
You are being very cautious.
Forget about everything, Ram.
You came out in a bold manner in a situation involving Ramesh.
He is your relative. He is your uncle.
Yes, he is my uncle.
You spoke about the issue.
For someone of your age, and being in the same state
you were able to speak up. It is something to feel proud of.
Good job.
I would like to clarify. It is not about speaking up.
It is about standing up for what's right and for your family.
To speak more clearly from the bottom of my heart...
It won't be easy to put it in words.
I have always seen everyone as human beings first.
Let it be my mom. Let it be my dad.
Let it be my brother. Let it be my friend.
For example, if my friend caused a car crash
and called me to inform about
that I would go there and find out who is in the right.
If it were my friend's fault, I would talk to him.
I will support him as a friend. But I would point out his mistake.
I would tell him he is wrong. I would tell him to come clean.
I have always been that kind of person.
I treat myself in the same way. That's how I am.
When I knew what's right and what's not, I had to stand up for it.
The narrative keeps changing.
Be it my relative. Be it whoever it is.
If I think it is right, I won't back down from it.
I will stand up for what's right.
That's what I have done. It is not about standing up for someone.
It isn't about who is on the other side.
I would have done the same thing for a friend.
That's not...
Whatever you feel is right, I think
everyone must stand up for it. There is no point in it otherwise.
Taking someone's side because they are family
is not right. We can't blindly take sides.
I have always looked up to my uncle.
He is an All India ranker in our family.
He came second all over India. He got many offers.
Let it be abroad. Let it be Hyderabad.
It's how they show it in a movie.
A man works hard and gets rich.
He wants to contribute to his village.
I wouldn't have believed in those concepts,
if I hadn't seen him.
He achieved so much in life. He was at his peak level.
He came to Vijayawada
because he wanted to do something for his people.
That's the kind of person he is.
There is no way these kinds of things could have happened.
You should view someone at a human level.
You should know how they are as a person when you look at his work.
He has a very good name. He has an excellent reputation.
He is a gentleman. Yes. Yes.
Whatever it is, Ram...
It is different when you are talking among yourselves.
It is different to speak about it openly. It needs courage.
It is something else entirely.
There is more power against you. But you withstand your power.
Sir, when it comes to me
I don't fear what others think about me.
I worry about what I think about myself.
Let it be any situation. What drives me is that
I don't worry about what others might think if I do something.
I worry about what I would think of myself if I don't do something.
That has always been my...
I have always been scared of what I think about myself.
Very good. Very well.
Okay, you spoke about Ramesh. I talked about him too.
Let's hear what he has to say.
Okay, brothers.
'Ram.'
'He is my brother's son.'
'He has been naughty. When his mother scolded him as a child,'
'he used to say that he would go to 'Patrick.'
'We never understood what he meant by that.'
'But later on, we realised he was pointing at the road.'
'He wants to go to traffic.'
'Education.'
'His teacher used to'
'talk to his parents often.'
'His teacher said he could learn if he studies hard.'
'But that he doesn't focus much.'
'She said he isn't focused on the exams much.'
'So...'
'I think we worked on a documentary when he was 13 years old.'
'He worked on a documentary.'
'Everyone in our family thought it was good.'
'He passed his tenth with 60% scores.'
'He left the other questions.'
'What we found out later was that'
'if he had gotten good marks, he would have to do his MBBS.'
'Or something else in the higher professions.'
'He felt that way.'
'So he left the questions.'
‘He decided to be an actor. He told his parents.'
'There will be discussions among the family.'
'All the other members'
'were scared of the film industry.'
'Devdas was first released in 2014 or 2015.'
'He learnt dance when he was a kid.'
'He has a clear focus on his life.'
'He was clear about his life when he was 15 years old.'
'We thought we should let him try his luck.'
'He danced to a song called 'Bangaram Bangaram'.
'When I saw that'
'I felt the goosebumps. I was proud of him.'
'All of our family members were proud of him.'
'He is loving and caring towards everyone.'
'When someone needs him, he takes a stand for them.'
'He will do whatever he can.'
'All of us are very proud to have Ram'
'in our family.'
We are getting to know you better.
He was speaking out of love for you.
You have the same kind of love.
That's why it is being reflected from him.
Or else, we never know. - We learn from our family.
We see our family members and learn from them.
No one will understand our preaching. They follow our actions.
That's what I have learnt. I have seen all of them.
Who is the critic among your family when it comes to movies?
I don't discuss films when I am at home.
I don't talk much about it.
A phone call after watching the movie. That's it.
Generally, we don't talk much about the movies.
The worst critic would be my dad.
Pick up a bottle, and he will praise you for doing a good job.
That's how he is.
We all need one person like that in our lives, no matter what.
When we are in the industry, especially right now.
We see a lot of negativity everywhere.
Negativity gets more money than positivity.
I think it is essential that we have such people in our lives.
Someone who constantly fills us up with positive energy.
Worst critic would be my dad. -Probably yourself.
Me... I work very differently.
It is challenging to explain.
I won't criticise anything. For me, it is all about
viewing things differently.
I don't think twice about how I performed the dance step.
I worry I won't be able to perform such an excellent step again.
I would want to enjoy myself while doing that.
My mindset is different.
I worry about thoroughly enjoying the moment.
My enjoyment on screen is what translates as
my energy and my joyfulness.
I don't worry about things when I watch the movie.
Everything is a learning experience.
Sharwanand is your cousin.
My cousin got married to his brother.
You came up with a great thought. Ramdom.
Ramdom thought on social media. - A nice wordplay, I would say.
Ramdom. It's nice.
Are you using your writing skills on that platform?
It's not writing. It is basically
thoughts and random thoughts, like I said.
We come across many random thoughts in our lives.
I just put it down and write.
I used to do that a lot.
You possess many skills. - I don't do it much.
We still have a lot of creativity to witness.
I can see that.
When will you work on being a director?
I have no interest at all.
Well, it's a very difficult thing.
Yeah. I like to...
I like acting. I can do it.
Once the shot is done, I disconnect.
I bow down to all the directors
for what they do. - I know. Actually...
Actually... In fact, I feel that they should
get more credit. The directors should.
Ram, Brahmayya and Company, in Chennai, they are...
They are friends with everyone.
They are close to everyone, including my family.
Sir.
Mr Ram Mohan Rao
did a lot for my brother and me. - Sir.
He is the closest person to our family as well.
And see... You have lovely relatives all around you.
You have people who are wonderful,
intelligent, compassionate and passionate about their work.
So, a few words about him... - He is like the head of the family.
And lots of things that... What I am lucky about with my family is...
Be it their money or whatever... Keeping it aside,
they are great human beings. - Yes.
Very good... - So, to speak about him...
We think we don't have time. My mother always used to say...
'When your grandpa has time, how can you not?'
I mean, he handled his real estate business. You know,
he built one of the most iconic buildings in Chennai.
At the same time, he was a CA. He was working for everyone.
Despite being so busy, he knew
about the studies of the brother
of his driver's cousin.
He would help them financially.
So, he was so concerned about everyone.
Yes.
So, I think that is something
nobody can ever match up to in our family.
Yes. - But we observed him as kids.
So, he would consider everyone family. How...
How can you even know about that person? It's a distant connection.
How many people work under you?
The son of their relative's relative
is studying engineering. 'Is he studying well? Yes.'
'Let's give him a job.' He is like that.
So, I have grown up seeing these people.
So, what I have learnt from my family
is at a human level, they are great people.
I am always proud to have a family that has someone like that.
And he was one of the major reasons why we moved to Chennai.
Looking at him... If only one person
is at a lower position than everyone else,
that will be troublesome. My father would have been like...
'I did everything, but lost it.' He constantly keeps seeing that.
It's not about jealousy or anything else.
It's about... Your morale goes down.
So, when you need a fresh start, go to a new place.
Even though, he was there, we didn't know Tamil at that time.
My father started off from there.
These decisions...
We think such things only if we care about someone.
So, we understand those decisions once we grow up.
What was their thought process behind this decision?
How much do you care for a person to be able to do all of that?
Today, to surprise our guest, we are going to play a special AV.
Can you tell us about it?
How can we guess it, sir?
Give us a hint. - Let's watch it then.
Your grandpa, that great man...
He said a few words.
Oh, okay. - Pals, play it.
'Mr Dutt's daughter, Swapna...'
'Swapna had a small request for me.'
'She asked me to speak about Ram.'
'He is smart. He didn't score'
'good marks. I wonder why.'
'I didn't know how to help him.'
'So, I met his class teacher once.'
'When I met her, I asked her what the problem was.'
'Ram was scoring very low.'
'His efforts were not reflecting in his marks.'
'I asked her what the issue was.'
'She explained it to me.'
'He would start writing the answer'
'to any question very well and in the middle'
'his attention would be diverted and he would get the conclusion wrong.'
'So, he never crossed'
'the limit of 50 marks. Otherwise,'
'we would expect him to score great marks.'
'But it never happened.'
'They called me to school and asked about him.'
'I asked them if he was interested in some other activity'
'apart from the studies. She had asked him about it.'
'When she asked him frankly'
'he wouldn't tell her.'
'At night, he was dancing to a song in his room.'
'When I looked into his room upon hearing the sound,'
'I was astonished.'
'Looking at him, I understood that he was interested'
'in art. He would like to be in the film industry.'
'As he was interested in dancing, we sent him to learn the same.'
'When he was 16 years old,'
'he started getting movie offers.'
'They met me with movie proposals for him.'
'It was a good subject. The movie was 'Devdasu'.'
'I was told the story.'
'As everything was fine, we agreed.'
'After that, he was very happy'
'and the movie was a great hit.'
Looking at this, I can say that you were born to be a star.
Since your childhood... You were born a star.
It wasn't you.
I still remember this. - Ram Star.
Okay. - My mother was very keen.
Because I was very attentive in class
and sometimes, the top student...
The teachers would get confused seeing me in class
and ask me to make the top student study.
The class would stare at me.
One day, she told me that I had to do well in exams.
She asked me why I scored low as I was very smart.
She knew the answers I knew.
Then the answer sheets came. Upon looking at it...
I didn't answer a lot of things.
She asked me why I didn't answer them when I knew them.
I had a dance class.
So, I left thinking those answers were enough.
She hit me because I did that.
For me, it was always like... My dance class was more important.
This was more important to me.
So, once I remember, they sat me down
and told me I needed to get a degree in some studies.
I needed something to fall back upon.
I remember saying this. I was eight or nine years old.
If I...
'If I want to become a lawyer and it doesn't work out,'
'will you ask me to study to be a doctor?' I said
that back then. I don't endorse this.
But back then, that was my mindset.
If I wanted to be an actor, I would prepare for that.
The concept of something to fall back upon didn't strike me.
If I wanted to be a lawyer and it was not feasible,
could I study to be a doctor?
So, for me, it was more of a waste of time. Something I needed...
If I wanted to be an actor,
I needed to go to my dance class, horse riding class...
My concept was that and it was very difficult for my family to accept.
But without my family's support. I don't think I would have...
You were quite clear about it.
See, there is no this or that. - Yeah, there is only this.
Only one. One arrow, one aim and one target.
Yeah. - One Ram. The arrow named Ram.
You look like a chocolate boy, but you work smartly.
And you are quiet and smart.
In 'iSmart Shankar', I liked the style of your pants. - Oh.
Whose idea was it?
Actually, I was in Spain.
While speaking to Mr Puri, I was sitting in a cafe.
I saw a guy walking around. - Oh.
I clicked his picture and sent it to Mr Puri.
We were thinking about two brains and all... So, I was like...
This guy's image was perfect for one aspect.
He looked crazy. So, I...
Puri is a... He is a very convenient director.
Yeah... - Yeah.
If asked, he will change the scene. - Yeah.
He won't think about it. If it's good, that's it.
He cares about the actor's comfort more than the movie.
Yes. - I never get nervous with him.
One of the most comfortable directors.
And he is a great human being. I connect with him at a human level.
Yeah, at a human level. Right. - Yeah.
I heard you were quite involved in the story of 'iSmart Shankar'.
You troubled them.
More than the story, it was more of...
I did a movie called, 'Hello Guru Prema Kosame'.
If you observe it, everyone in the Telugu industry
was doing soft roles and good guy roles.
Everyone was playing the good guy.
So, after a point, as an audience, I was frustrated.
I wanted to do something wild.
I still remember it. I went to him.
It didn't work out for many movies.
I called him and told him to write something wild for me.
Why shouldn't a villain have a story?
If the hero is on the screen, it's okay.
But the people fear the villain.
The character should be entertaining enough that the villain
should terrify the audience.
We just kept talking randomly.
He said something. I said something. That's how 'iSmart Shankar' came.
There is nothing else.
Before we wrap up, Ram,
you told me the storyline of 'Andhra King Taluka'.
It's good. - Sir.
I think the audience will connect to it well.
And that is what we want. - Yeah. Yeah.
The movie represents them. - Yeah.
Beautiful. - Thanks.
Connecting to the movie,
we already have a great fan amidst us.
Shall we call her to the stage? - Sir, please.
Durga, please come to the stage.
I like him a lot. No matter how I am
or the trouble I am facing, I see him and forget everything.
He is a part of my life.
My husband supports me. I told him I would get your name tattooed.
He told me it was my decision.
But my first love is Ram. Then, it's my husband.
My entire family loves him. I have his huge portrait framed.
I will get it for him during the next photoshoot.
If you sign it... - Definitely.
My life will be complete. I love you, sir.
I love you so much. - Thank you.
So, this was an example. - Sir.
Just... Ram, your way of addressing someone is great.
The way you call people.
If you once... I mean, give me different modulations.
If you want to call someone, what sound
do you make? - It's one thing, sir. They know it.
Why did you create it?
It was out of necessity.
While shooting, there are so many people. So...
I don't like yelling their names.
I have this small whistle so that nobody else
will be disturbed and only my people will know.
Whistle on camera once.
It looks like a kiss. - No. Not at all.
Why don't you move your hand and whistle again?
The women in the audience are elated.
Okay, let's end it here.
Rapid Fire Round, brought to you by 'Jar App'.
On the 'Jar App', you can save
24-carat gold starting from 100 rupees.
In the same way, you can withdraw the money when you want.
Use the 'Jar App' and increase your savings.
Let's start our Rapid Fire Round, sponsored by 'Jar App'.
In this round, I will ask you five questions, back to back.
You have to give us the honest and best answers.
So, for every correct answer,
you will win 5,000 Jar Gold Points.
It means, for 5 answers,
you can win 25,000 Jar Gold Points.
If you skip one answer,
you will lose 5,000 Jar Gold Points.
The 'Jar App' will donate these 25,000 Jar Gold Points to charity.
So, let's start the Rapid Fire!
I am terrible at it. Just a heads up.
I am terrible at asking.
That's different. - Okay.
Which scenes do you shoot in multiple takes?
Action scenes or romantic scenes?
Romantic scenes.
Action scenes, mostly. - Action.
He doesn't need it for romance. He does it in a single take.
There are lots of moving parts.
So, I need... - Okay. Okay, next.
What is the craziest proposal you have received from a fan?
I keep getting their proposals, sir. - There are many.
Tell us about a girl's proposal.
Even though, they don't speak,
the way they look at me is the biggest compliment.
You are working in 'Andhra King Taluka' for them.
What is your nickname in your close friends' circle?
They call me Ram. Yeah. - Is it Ram?
What is your full name? - Pothineni Sitaram Chowdary.
Oh, okay. Who was your childhood favourite hero?
It was very movie-specific.
As I was raised in Chennai,
Rajinikanth. - Me too.
You have to answer this quickly.
Which movie was different during narration,
but changed after shooting? - Oh, there are many, sir.
One example. - 'Ongole Gittha' is an example.
'Ongole Gittha'. - Yeah.
Okay. What is more important? A hit or self-satisfaction?
I think if I am satisfied with my work,
the movie will be a hit. That will satisfy me.
Tell me the name of one such movie. - There are a lot, sir.
'Kandireega' would be one. 'Ready' would be one.
'iSmart Shankar' would be one. - Okay.
Tell us a dialogue from 'iSmart Shankar'.
'Hit the bottle and keep your worries aside.'
He said it so simply.
Let's begin the 'Country Delight' presents
High Five with Zee5, real answers only.
How do you incorporate a healthy diet in your routine?
I try to eat healthy.
Mostly, if you observe my movies,
it's always been about putting on and losing weight for my characters.
Due to these challenges, I need to be more careful.
I need to figure out what works for my body and what does not.
Your body is different. My body is different.
Everyone's body is different.
Who is your 3 a.m. industry friend? - I sleep at that time, sir.
I will sever my friendship with the one who calls me.
I will say, 'Go to sleep. Let's talk in the morning.'
Are you happy having a lot of female fans?
Is it a pressure or a pleasure?
To make them fall for me...
I think it's a great achievement.
In the movies you have done until now,
which movie backfired despite the trust you had in it?
'Jagadam' and 'Endukante Premanta'.
Both of them were good movies.
But we don't know why they didn't work at that time.
Something that we believed in, but it didn't work.
If you have to be in a multi-star movie,
who will you choose from Tollywood?
It depends on the script. Last time, I acted with Mr Venkatesh.
Yes. - Whoa!
Something you can't resist.
Sweet curd or buttermilk?
Buttermilk. - Buttermilk, okay.
Ram has a great female following.
To maintain that following,
what is your style secret?
Shall we go to 'Oaksmith Style Studio' and find out?
Sure. - Let's go there.
For a movie, have you ever sacrificed
your personal style completely? If yes, which one?
My personal style reflects in every movie.
I make sure my personal style reflects in my character somehow.
You have never sacrificed it. - No.
From your movies, which style was your personal favourite and why?
I think, I enjoyed 'iSmart Shankar'. He is a very different dancer.
We can't do that in reality.
But his clothing is weird and fun.
So, I enjoyed wearing that.
Which heroine do you find the most stylish?
Most stylish?
Probably, Sam. - Wow, Sam is getting lots of marks.
Among the present heroes,
which hero do you think
is a competition to you in terms of style?
Style? I don't think I am stylish, but...
They are all pretty good.
I don't look at it that way. I have no idea.
But I think, all the guys right now are...
In the Telugu industry, styling has evolved a lot
in the last four to five years. - Yes.
And that reflects in many of them.
Will you take up the role of a stylish villain?
A stylish villain? Irrespective of the size of the movie,
if it is interesting, definitely.
I will call you first.
All the best to you. - Thank you.
May the universe bless you. - Thank you so much.
Thank you very much. Come. - Thank you, sir.
From 'Vijay JB Infra Private Limited',
a powerful idol of Lord Hanuman.
Ram, you look quite dashing today. - Sir.
To elevate your style, from our fashion partner,
'The Arvind Store',
a special hamper. - Thank you. Thank you.
'Jar App' savings tip of the day. Do you know
in 2025, the gold prices have already increased by 60 per cent?
It means on the 1st of January,
if you had invested 100 rupees on gold,
it would have become 160 rupees.
So, during this festival season,
turn savings into a part of your celebrations.
Even if it is a small amount, start saving.
Before we go to the memory wall,
let's check out the all-new
Grande Collection by 'Merino Laminates',
featuring, the 10 feet designer laminates.
These bold designs are crafted to catch the eye
and to make you look up. Let's have the video, please.
This is a moment worth looking up to
just like the Grande Collection by 'Merino Laminates'.
This is a moment worth looking up to
just like the Grande Collection by 'Merino Laminates'.
'I loved your ragging. - Don't call it ragging, sir.'
'So, you played around like this.'
'Later, Anupama...'