Venu Thottempudi: I love being a part of multi-starrers

The actor, who is back in the reckoning with Ravi Teja-starrer Ramarao on Duty, talks about the film, his comeback, and more
Venu Thottempudi: I love being a part of multi-starrers

Actor Venu Thottempudi is making a comeback to films after a decade with the Ravi Teja-starrer Ramarao on Duty (ROD). He will be seen as CI Jammi Murali in the action entertainer inspired by true events.

Venu is elated with the response to his look and says, "I am glad to be returning to films after Ramachari (2013). I am delighted that the audience stood up and took notice of my new look as a cop. Above all, it gives me immense joy to work with Ravi Teja in Ramarao on Duty, a film that is loaded with all the commercial elements one would expect in our combination. The response to my role was only due to the wider reach of Ravi Teja's image among the masses," says Venu.

When asked about his reason for the sabbatical, Venu explains, "A lot of filmmakers have approached me with scripts, but none of them excited me. All these years, I was focused on my infrastructure, gold, and other businesses and was deliberately away from the arc lights. However, I changed my mind during the pandemic as I got enough time to binge-watch several films and web series on the OTT platforms. I was really fascinated by the way our Indian and other international filmmakers are churning out exciting content on the OTT platforms and regained my interest in the entertainment industry. While films have always been my first love, given an opportunity, I want to do more web shows and films for digital platforms. I would say, my comeback is only to be a part of exciting OTT content."

On how he came on board for Ramarao on Duty, Venu reveals, "Producer Sudhakar Cherukuri approached me with this offer, but I turned it down. Later, director Sarath Mandava texted me as my fanboy and asked me if we could catch up over tea. He also told me that whether I do his film or not, he is quite excited to meet me. I liked his approach and after discussion, I was convinced that this would be an ideal film to stage a comeback."

Venu has no qualms about sharing screen space with other heroes and says he enjoyed doing multi-starrers ever since he forayed into the industry. "After Chiru Navvutho (2000), I did my first multi-starrer Hanuman Junction (2001), which was a runaway hit at the box office. Working in that film along with Arjun Sarja and Jagapathi Babu made me closer to them as I got to know a lot about them and their personalities. Since then, it has become a habit for me to work in multi-starrers and meet new people, which, I believe, will bring out the best of me. Likewise, Ravi Teja is a wonderful co-star and it was a joy to work with him. He is chilled out, warm, and talks well. I love being a part of multi-starrers and am always open to new challenges," signs off Venu.

Related Stories

No stories found.
Cinema Express
www.cinemaexpress.com