After a nine-year hiatus, actor Manchu Manoj returns to the silver screen with the intense action drama Bhairavam, releasing on May 30. In an emotional comeback, Manoj opens up about his powerful role, the strong bond with co-stars Nara Rohit and Bellamkonda Sai Srinivas, and how his father Mohan Babu’s disciplined life continues to inspire him
suresh kavirayani
sureshkavirayani@gmail.com
After nearly a decade-long break from the big screen, Manchu Manoj is making a powerful comeback with the much-anticipated film Bhairavam, set to release on May 30. Known for his intense screen presence and emotional depth, Manoj gets candid about his return, the bond he shares with his co-stars, and how his father—veteran actor Mohan Babu—remains his greatest inspiration both in life and cinema.
“That’s why I got emotional at the pre-release event of the film,” said Manoj. “Because of some reasons, I took a break of nine years and came back with this film, so I was a bit emotional after attending my film event,” he explained.
Talking about how the project came to him, Manoj shared that he met Bellamkonda Sai Srinivas at an event, and it was Srinivas who informed him that director Vijay Kanakamedala wanted to speak with him. “He gave me his number and then the director called and narrated the Bhairavam story. I liked it and agreed to do it immediately,” said Manoj.
He revealed that he is playing the role of Gajapathi Varma in the film. “It’s an intense and ferocious character. This film is definitely a special one in my career,” said Manoj. He added that the other two characters, played by Nara Rohit and Bellamkonda Sai Srinivas, have also been crafted very well. “The director has written all three characters in a meaningful way and each of us gets importance,” he noted. Manoj shared that through this film, he developed a strong bond with Nara Rohit and Sai Srinivas. “Sai is like my brother and Rohit is a good friend of mine. We spent a lot of time together and our bonding became strong. Though I had some personal problems, I never missed shooting and completed it. For this, I drew inspiration from Nara Rohit. A very sad incident happened in his family, but he still wanted to complete a song despite it. I learned from him,” said Manoj, admiring Rohit’s dedication.
When asked what he has learned from his father, the versatile actor Mohan Babu, Manoj replied, “His journey is a big inspiration. He struggled a lot to reach the top, and he always follows discipline. The other big thing I learned from him is to take care of the people who support you throughout and to help others as much as you can. I learned from him to be honest in life. My father is my hero,” he said. Talking about his brother Vishnu, he added, “I have to learn from him how to speak in a situation,” he said, in a more satirical tone.
Aditi Shankar, one of the female leads in the film, mentioned that Manoj cooks biryani very well. Manoj responded, “When I was in the hostel, I knew how to cook, so on the sets, I started cooking when I had time. Nara Rohit also cooks very well,” he shared about their on-set bonding.
Manoj praised director Vijay Kanakamedala, saying, “He is a very good director, and people who have seen Garudan will definitely be surprised after watching Bhairavam. He has written the story so strongly. In fact, he even designed my costumes and look. We have seen the film and liked it very much. We are confident that this film is going to be a big success.” When asked about when his solo film is coming out, Manoj said, “I had the story of Aham Brahmasmi ready, which I wanted to do as a solo project. But due to some reasons, it didn’t happen. God had other plans — like Bhairavam and Mirai, in which I am playing important roles,” said Manoj.
