‘I choose my own scripts and make my own decisions’

This Sankranthi is going to be a movie feast for all the movie lovers, as few of the most awaited films are going to hit the theaters. One amongst them is the Santosh Sobhan starrer Kalyanam Kamaneeyam. Just like the audience, the Ek Mini Katha actor is all excited for the release of the film.The Pioneer brings to you some insights about the film from the words of the actor himself.

K. Ramya Sree

Actor Santosh Sobhan is creating his own niche with different kinds of films that are fun and joyful. This time, the actor chose to be close to reality in his film, and he is coming to entertain the Telugu audience this Sankranthi with Kalyanam Kamaneeyam. A rom-com, the film is about the life of a couple, after marriage.

Santosh, who is super happy to have a Sankranti release, is sure that this film will attract the family audience so much that they will in fact relate to the characters on screen.The actor informed, “When I was working for Ek Mini Katha, I was introduced to Anil. I have been in the fun zone with my films so far. When I heard the story, I felt this was truly a very emotional drama. This is a personal story that is close to Anil. Shiva (my character in the film) is a truly honest guy, and there is nothing gimmicky about him, and that is what I liked the most about the story.”

Interestingly, the film will be released on January 14, the same date on which his father had a theatrical release of Prabhas’ Varsham, which was one of the biggest box office hits at the time.

The Paperboy star, who feels that the universe is reminding him of his dad, said, “I think we can consider this Sankranthi as Covid-free Sankranthi after almost three years. Apart from that, we have four big hero films. We were given the opportunity to release the film alongside them. All that I care about now is that my film is releasing for Sankranthi and I am very happy about it.”

Furthermore, speaking about his character Shiva in Kalyanam Kamaneeyam, he said, “For me, this character was very natural. I don’t think there is anything to be questioned or spoken about, when a man is jobless while his wife is working and earning. It is very relatable to me. All my life before I started earning, my brother and I were dependent on my mother, a single parent who worked very hard for our upbringing.

When it comes to films, I believe in two kinds: aspirational and relatable, and this is a relatable film. There are characters like Shiva and Shruti in everyone’s life. Our film begins with marriage, and their journey is Kalyanam Kamaneeyam. The character Shiva is really a mystery. I was even shocked while dubbing for it. I was shocked by his patience. I learned the difference between ego and self-respect. This film is always meant to be a communal experience. This is a family film.”

Meanwhile, the actor is very grateful that Anushka Shetty launched the trailer and Prabhas launched the wedding anthem. Santosh also revealed that Prabhas is his “hero.” He said, “Prabhas is my hero, and I am his fan. There is no bigger relationship than that. I am really grateful for everything that has happened to me in my life. He is India’s biggest star, but he came out in support of me for my first film and even for Like, Share, Subscribe. This is a gift to me.”

On another note, he also spoke about how his previous film, Like, Share, Subscribe, took a toll on him. “Like, Share, Subscribe is still one of my favourite films. Yes, we failed to have an emotional connection with the audience with that film, but we loved it so much that we couldn’t step back and look at it objectively. Somewhere I know for a fact that there was no emotional connection with the audience. Like, Share, Subscribe took a toll on me.

It took me a week to get over it because I truly felt it was one of my best films. It is a learning experience. I think today I have everything I once dreamed of, even the simplest things,” said the Ek Mini Katha actor, who is very independent when it comes to choosing his scripts. “I always choose my scripts. I have always made my own decisions. However it goes, one thing I can be assured of is that it is my decision.”

On a lighter note, if you are a movie buff, you know what Sankranthi means — a movie feast. Santosh, who enjoys movies, is excited about the upcoming releases this week.

“I’m going to go in order as an audience, first Balakrishna garu’s film and then Chiranjeevi garu’s film. The icing on the cake for me is that I have my film also releasing for Sankranthi, but I’m going to watch all releases in the order they are released,” concluded Santosh, who has an action-thriller film and another film with Nandini Reddy in his kitty.