Telugu internet has never been the same since 2013. Beaming through the computer screens as the ever-sarcastic teacher in Viva, a comedy sketch directed by Sabarish Kandregula, Harsha Chemudu has cemented his position as a force of comedic talent to be reckoned with. After a decade’s worth of supporting roles in films, the actor enters the big league by playing the lead for the first time in Sundaram Master, which interestingly features him as a teacher. Talking to Cinema Express from Visakhapatnam, where he is promoting his upcoming film as part of a multi-city tour in Andhra Pradesh, Harsha explains how he got his first lead role, why he treats all his characters equally, an unlikely special appearance to watch out for in Sundaram Master and more.
Selected Excerpts:
Your Viva sketch came out a little more than a decade ago. You have had an interesting career in cinema over the years. Did you ever see yourself play a lead role someday?
To be honest, I never had any such idea. Even Sundaram Master just happened to me. That character found me, not the other way around. One of the biggest green flags about this film was how everything, including the warm reception garnered by the film’s teaser and trailer, came together organically. Our audience is sensible, that is what I have been observing so far.
Speaking of which, how did Sundaram Master come to you organically?
Kalyan Santhosh was a part of Month of Madhu’s direction department. We have known each other for years, and have also worked together previously. He came up to me and mentioned that he had written a story with me as its lead. I was pleasantly surprised, because, the scripts I have otherwise been getting are so conventional and lethargic. It is always a guy who feels bad about his weight and his dark skin. I mean, I am not apologetic about myself, I live my life so confidently. I do whatever I want and whatever I like. I did not want to put myself in those shoes and gain sympathy or whatever. I always believed that whenever I would do a lead role, it should be fantastic. So, when Kalyan came to me with the story, I just sat down to listen to it and boy, was I impressed? I loved the story so much that I begged Kalyan to not narrate it to anyone else, to not even consider anyone else for the film from then on.
Could you speak a bit about your character Sundaram?
We have selectively and strategically only revealed 35% of the film through the teaser and the trailer. If you notice, the teaser has an overtly comic tone, because we wanted to grab everybody’s attention. The trailer is more cryptic, with people questioning Sundaram’s motivations. I don’t want to talk more about my character but I will say this. Sundaram Master features a strong and impactful contribution from our favourite meme god Brahmanandam. It is better than a cameo.
Are you saying that he will not appear in the film? Is the film going to have meta references of Brahmanandam?
No! He will be appearing in VFX. There is a very strong reason for his presence in the film. And he has dubbed for his own lines in the film.
Sundaram is banking largely on your brand, do you feel more responsible than the times you have played supporting roles?
I did not take any pressure. Be it a ten-minute role, a full-length role, a character role or a lead role, my approach has been both specific and generic in similar ways. I treat all my characters equally and stay honest and attentive throughout the process. This is what I believe is key to a better output. Long story short, I treated my role in Sundaram Master like any other character, just the way I treated my role in Colour Photo or Month Of Madhu.
Is it tiring for you to play comedy roles all the time? Is there anything you do to beat that monotony, if there is any?
I have had the good fortune of working in films where I received characters with a distinct dynamic and vibe. The team you work with also makes all the difference, keeping that monotony at bay. That said, I have also done my share of cringe roles. I had to sustain myself (laughs).
What are some of the memorable performances for you in your career so far?
My role in Baby was interesting as well as different from the work that I had done earlier. Sai Rajesh (Baby’s director) specifically wanted me to step away from my previous performances. The result is the borderline grey character in the film. I also really loved my role in Men Too, where I played a gay man battling with false sexual harassment allegations. I also find the initial phase of my career to be personally memorable. The string of roles I did back then, and their cumulative impact, led me later to critically acclaimed films like Colour Photo.
In your filmography, a lot of characters have surprisingly been named Harsha. Why do you think that happens?
I don’t know, really. Ravikanth (Perepu, director) named my character Harsha because he wanted the real-life Harsha onscreen. In his film (Krishna and his Leela, 2020), I wasn’t acting. I was just being myself.
Could you speak a bit about your future projects?
I am pushing myself to work outside the Telugu industry now. I recently worked in the Hindi series Hostel Daze, for Prime Video. I have also finished working on a straight Kannada film. I am also working on a film that stars Kartik Aaryan.
