"Dad is my Lighthouse"

His first film might have bombed at the box-office, but Ram Charan Tej is back in action with his second movie, Magadheera, a mythological magnum opus. With a planned release in over 1500 screens across 15 countries globally, the Rs 42 crore film is colossal.The 24-year-old who plays the role of a prince is not content with just the power of the numbers. The film will attempt to recreate the magic that Ram Charan’s father Chiranjeevi had created with the song Bangaru Kodi Petta in his film Ghrana Mogudu.

Despite all this, Ram Charan, or Cherry as he is called, has his fingers crossed. “For now I’m not looking at records. I’ll talk about it after the release. We put in a lot of hard work. It took 260 days for us to shoot the film.

While graphics and special effects are just padding, the story will strike a chord with the audience,” he says.While few freshers choose period films, Cherry goes by instinct, “I’ve not designed my career. This script came to me and I took it up. I somehow like period films, the horses, the battles and the costume. After this I want to do a non-commercial experimental film.”As for the failure of his debut, Chirutha, he’s pragmatic, “That movie didn’t yield the results we expected, probably due to audience expectations or flaws in the script. It was a learning experience.”

A B.Com graduate from St. Mary’s College in the city and an alumnus of the London School of Theatre, Cherry says being a star son has both its advantages and drawbacks. “Everybody expects me to dance or act like my dad. My dad has been here 30 years while I am only three-years-old in the industry. He is my inspiration and my lighthouse. But I can’t be him. So, I don’t take feedback from everyone. It disturbs the pattern. Being a star son is certainly more positive than negative. It all depends on how we use it. I am carving my own style.”

Charan is not disappointed over his father’s political debacle, “We did our best. Film charisma alone won’t do. Films are a different ball-game. Political success depends on team work. I have a Chiranjeevi, he doesn’t. So I thought it was my responsibility to support him which is why I campaigned for him.”

The upcoming star however, doesn’t want Tollywood to be a family-driven industry and welcomes fresh faces even while he asserts that he’s working hard to prove himself as an actor,

“Being Chiranjeevi’s son, I have to work doubly hard to prove myself. There are more expectations from me. And if as actors we don’t enhance our qualities and grow with every film, we will be pushed way behind in the fierce competition the industry is seeing these days.”