Mahesh Babu: My strength solely lies in unlearning

Mahesh Babu, who is awaiting the release of Sarileru Neekevvaru on January 11, is confident of the film becoming the biggest hit in his career. "I am feeling all the good vibes and to sum up the excitement, I will say, Bomma Daddarillipoddi," begins Mahesh.

He is delighted that director Anil Ravipudi has conceived a story that will show him in his element. "I have taken the right decision by signing this film that has blended commercial elements and patriotism. The role plays to my strengths and I think Sarileru Neekevvaru will redefine the structure of commercial cinema," he says adding, "I have reinvented myself in the role of an Army officer and surrendered myself to Anil's vision. And that's the reason I have taken a month's time to prepare for this character and lost six kilos to look the part."

Over the last few days, some sort of confusion prevailed over the release dates of Sarileru Neekevvaru and Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo. Mahesh points out that it has got nothing to do with the competition and maintains that he is against the concept of a box-office clash. "The idea of two films releasing on the same day creates a frenzy. When two big films are pitted against each other on the same day, it affects the collections and causes an incredible screen crunch. Considering these aspects and the stakes involved, the Producers Guild of Telugu cinema has come forward to clear the confusion and it's good that both the films have got some space at the box-office."

Asked why Telugu actors, unlike their counterparts in Bollywood, are not taking any preventive measures to avoid such confusion, Mahesh asserts, "I can't say anything about it. Usually, we will have a week's gap between two big releases. But during festivals (like Sankranthi) or some other holiday season, we will have two-three releases within the same week. Now that Bhogi and Sankranthi are celebrated on Tuesday and Wednesday, our distributors and exhibitors wanted our film to be released on January 11. No matter if it's a Saturday, we are going ahead with their demand."

Refuting claims that star heroes are showing their dominance and making unreasonable demands by pressurising producers to hold as many theatres as possible for their films, Mahesh explains, "I don't think any hero will ever do that. Instead, one may ask for a solo release as the stakes will be really high, naturally."

The actor has an interesting process for keeping his enthusiasm for his work intact. "Taking short but frequent breaks from work helps me feel enthusiastic. I always wanted to do something new and my transition from serious films to commercial cinema accentuates this belief. I believe my strength solely lies in unlearning and that's the reason I take frequent vacations. I have now decided to take a long break before I start working on my new film under the direction of Vamshi Paidipalli," signs off Mahesh.