Actor Aniesh is making his acting debut with Itlu Arjuna, which also marks Mahesh Uppala's directorial debut. Director Venky Kudumula is turning producer with the film, which is set to release this Friday. Interestingly, several big stars, including Nagarjuna Akkineni, Jr NTR, Ram Charan and Akhil Akkineni, have come forward to support the film and its debutant actor.
“I am very lucky. It is a big thing for me as a debutant, and I am grateful to all of them,” says Aniesh, adding, “Even now, it feels like a dream. I believe they supported us on this scale because they liked the concept we chose and the content of our film. It is truly encouraging for a newcomer to receive support from such big stars. At the same time, it has increased my responsibility. We have a lot of confidence in the film. It is a movie that audiences can enjoy in theatres, and I am sure it will offer them a good experience.”
Aniesh, who always wanted to be an actor, spoke about the support he received from his family. “When I was around 15, I firmly decided that I wanted to become an actor and told my father about it. He actually encouraged me and gave me the freedom to choose what I wanted to do in the future,” he says.
In fact, it was his father who introduced him to director Venky Kudumula. “My father knows Venky garu, and that is how I met him around the time of Bheeshma. When he came across the story of Itlu Arjuna, he sent it to me, and that is how this project began,” says Aniesh, who reveals that he was impressed with the emotional aspect of a mute person's love story. “I liked how a person who cannot express his feelings through words communicates his love. The way the story unfolds, the journeys of the lead pair, and the action and emotional elements all felt very organic. There are several interesting situations in the film, and I found it fascinating to see how a mute person deals with and handles such situations,” he says.
Aniesh’s father Mahesh Reddy had earlier produced two films with Nagarjuna Akkineni. Asked why his father did not produce Itlu Arjuna as well, Aniesh says, “My father is deeply devoted to spirituality. With the intention of bringing devotional stories to audiences, he produced two films with Nagarjuna garu — Shirdi Sai and Namo Venkatesa. However, he is not interested in producing regular commercial films.”
Talking about his preparation to play a mute character, he says, “We attended workshops for nearly six months for this film. The director had a lot of clarity about the character’s body language, reactions and expressions. We also incorporated some sign language, but it is designed to be easily understood by everyone. We rehearsed every scene in advance, which helped me get into the character.”
The trailer also hints at some interesting action sequences. Talking about how the action has been designed, Aniesh says, “They are designed to suit the underdog nature of the character. They are not like the action sequences usually seen in mass commercial films; instead, they are in keeping with the character’s personality. Arjuna is a very genuine character, and I believe audiences will connect with his emotions.”
Before choosing Itlu Arjuna as his debut film, Aniesh spent nearly a year listening to different stories. “I listened to stories for almost a year before deciding on my debut film. During that time, Mahesh garu brought me this story, and I liked it very much. Fortunately, I found a story with a beautiful emotional core that I believe will connect with everyone,” he says.
Several stars, including Nagarjuna and Jr NTR, have praised Aniesh’s challenging debut role. Asked about the difficulties he faced while playing a mute character, he says, “Reacting in certain scenes was quite challenging. Normally, when someone speaks to us, we respond through dialogue. But in this role, I don't have the option of speaking. I have to respond to the other person entirely through my expressions. That was a little difficult. Dancing without lip-syncing was also challenging.”
Anaswara Rajan, who is a popular actor in Malayalam cinema, plays the female lead opposite Aniesh. Talking about his experience of working with her, he says, “She already has good experience as an actor and is a wonderful performer. She is very experienced, but she is also very friendly and supported me very well.”
The film was initially scheduled for an earlier release but was postponed a few times. Asked how he dealt with the delays as a debutant, Aniesh says, “Becoming an actor has been my dream since childhood. After the release date of my debut film was announced, I was a little disappointed when it did not release as planned. However, we were confident that we had made a good film. We believed that audiences would accept it whenever it was released, so we continued working with renewed enthusiasm.”
Aniesh says he has learnt a lot from his first film, particularly about the effort that goes into filmmaking. “When we aspire to become actors, we usually watch films only on screen. But only when we witness the process behind the scenes do we understand how much hard work goes into making a film. I learnt how much effort is required and how many people work together to bring a film to life. Making a film is not easy. I learnt a lot during this journey, and my respect for cinema has grown even more,” he concludes.
