Naveen Polishetty: When I get a story, I think about these three things

Naveen Polishetty is on cloud nine after the resounding success of his latest film Anaganaga Oka Raju. Released during the highly competitive Sankranthi season alongside several big-ticket films, the movie not only held its ground but emerged as a major blockbuster.

Speaking at the film’s success celebrations, Naveen expressed his gratitude to the audience and everyone involved in the project.

“Sankranthi will be remembered forever because it created history in Telugu cinema. When my film released during this festival, many doubted whether it could compete with the big films and survive. But it stood strong and became a big success. The entire credit goes to the Telugu audience,” said Naveen.

The actor revealed that he follows a clear thought process before signing any film. “Whenever I hear a story, I think about three people. First, the producer. Second, the distributors and exhibitors. Third, the audience who spend their hard-earned money to watch the film. I want to respect all three. I could do multiple films in a year, but I prefer taking time to make a good film,” he explained.

Recalling his journey, Naveen spoke about his four consecutive successes— Agent Sai Srinivasa Athreya, Jathi Ratnalu, Miss Shetty Mr Polishetty, and now Anaganaga Oka Raju. “Many people told me that someone from YouTube could never become a hero. Yet, Telugu audiences gave me four straight blockbusters,” he said.

Naveen added that Anaganaga Oka Raju carries a strong message. “Nothing comes easy in life. You have to work hard, and there are no shortcuts to earning money,” he noted.

He thanked producer Naga Vamsi for trusting him and giving him the space to grow, and also expressed gratitude to Chinna Babu and Trivikram for their constant encouragement.

Reflecting on his dream, Naveen said becoming a hero once felt impossible. “Whenever I think about such journeys, Chiranjeevi garu comes to my mind. He reached where he is without any background. Coming from a middle-class family, inspired by Megastar Chiranjeevi garu, releasing a film alongside his and succeeding is a dream moment for me. Hearing that Chiranjeevi garu spoke about me brought tears to my eyes,” he concluded.