Vasishta Simha welcomed 2021 in a unique way by adopting a lion cub on January 1. He has named the cub, housed at Bannerghatta Biological Park, after his father, Vijay Narasimha. "I wanted to welcome 2021 differently, and I am happy to have a new member in the family, whom I cannot always have next to me, but I am glad to take responsibility for,” says Vasishta.
The actor-singer, who initially established himself as a villain in Kannada films, later turned hero with Nagathihalli Chandrashekar’s India v/s England. He will now be joining the group of Kannada actors who have been dabbling in multiple film industries. He is set to make his mark in the Telugu film industry in a big way, having already completed shooting for two projects, and now signing his third one.
Vasishta will be a part of Daggupati Venkatesh-starrer Naarappa, directed by Srikanth Addala, in which he will be seen in a negative role. The film is a remake of the Tamil film, Asuran. It will also feature Priyamani as the female lead.
Ahead of the shooting, which begins on Wednesday, Vasishta tells CE that 2020 gave him a lot of opportunities, and the result of the foundation he laid last year will be seen over the next two years. “Post lockdown, I have completed shooting for two Telugu films - Odela Railway Station and yet-to-be-titled project, which has me playing the lead. Naarappa will be my third,” he says.
Vasishta will also be making his debut in Tamil cinema, and he plans to begin the project in the second half of this year. “For my Tamil debut, I will be teaming up with Dhushanth. He has previously assisted Kathir of Kadal Desam fame, and this will be his first independent venture. We have finalised the script, and currently, the pre-production work is going on. I will begin shooting once I complete the Telugu film, followed by my two pending Kannada movies that are on the floors,” he says.
Talking about how the trend of actors making their presence felt in more than one industry is rising, Vasishta says, “I feel that the result of pan-Indian films is always unpredictable. Instead, I believe that it is better for the artiste to get a pan-Indian presence. With a chance to work in different languages, the actor gets to connect with people from all regions,” he says, adding, “My entry to film industries in other languages has been accidental, and at the same time exceptional, because I was offered roles based on my previous work. Though it was unexpected, I am glad they all approached me based on my talent.”