Actor Sampoornesh Babu, known for his entertaining roles, is now playing a meaty character in Nani-Srikanth Odela's The Paradise. The film is set to hit the screens on September 24. Many were surprised when Sampoornesh’s look from the film was unveiled. He plays Nani’s friend, Biryani, in the film. “I received a call from director Srikanth Odela and went to meet him. When he narrated the Biryani character, I found it very interesting and completely new. I have never played a character like this before in my career. It is a very serious role and also different from all the characters I have played so far,” says Sampoornesh Babu.
“I am playing Nani’s best friend in the film, and my character will be seen throughout the movie. If I had received a character like this three years ago, some of the mistakes I made in my career might not have happened. Working with Nani and Srikanth has been a very happy experience for me,” says the actor, revealing that this is the biggest film he's worked on. “I have never worked on such a big film before. The makers placed a lot of trust in me, and I did my best to live up to their expectations.”
Talking about Nani, Sampoornesh says, “Nani garu made me feel very comfortable, and this is the first time I have worked for so many days on such a big film. I learnt a lot on the sets. Nani garu’s dedication is amazing, and whenever I performed well, he would appreciate me." Going on to talk about how he landed this role, Sampoornesh revealed the connection between The Paradise and his very own Hrudaya Kaleyam. “Sai Rajesh called and told me that I would receive a call from Srikanth’s office. He asked me to speak to them and take up the character. Sai Rajesh and Srikanth are very good friends,” says Sampoornesh, who is also sharing screenspace for the first time with veteran actor Mohan Babu. “I had been waiting for a long time to act with Mohan Babu sir. When I was told that we had scenes together in this film, I was extremely happy. It felt like a long-cherished dream had come true.”
Sampoornesh underwent a physical transformation to play the role. He lost weight, and grew a beard as well. “I followed whatever the director asked me to do. In fact, I also decided to not do any other film until the shooting of The Paradise was completed. I received a few offers during that period, but I told them that I would not take up anything until I finished this film,” says Sampoornesh.
