From Vizag to Hyderabad, Switzerland to the United States — Manoj Chandra’s passion for cinema has remained unwavering. Along the way, he acted in several short films, worked with a television channel, featured in the English film Christmas in Miami, and now marks a significant milestone as the lead actor in the upcoming Telugu film Kothapallilo Okappudu. In this candid conversation, Manoj opens up about his unconventional journey and the dream that’s finally taking flight
Suresh Kavirayani
Manoj Chandra, who hails from Visakhapatnam, is making his debut as a lead actor in the film Kothapallilo Okappudu, directed by Praveen Paruchuri. Manoj showed interest in films from a young age, but his parents urged him to focus on academics first. He auditioned for a film when he was just 17.
“I shifted to Hyderabad for my engineering graduation in Aeronautical Engineering. While studying, I continued to pursue my interest in films. I acted in a few short films and also conducted interviews for a private channel,” Manoj said, describing the early days of his journey.
While working for a private channel, he landed a few contracts. “Later, I took up a job that had me travel to different countries and finally settle in the USA. During this time, I kept acting in small roles, but I wasn’t able to establish an identity,” he shared.
Manoj revealed that watching C/o Kancharapalem gave him renewed hope that small films could achieve big things at the box office. “That film inspired me to start writing stories and focus on content creation. During the COVID period, I attended Hollywood classes. I then got a good role in Christmas in Miami, and the team even took me to Nigeria for the film’s promotion. It was a great experience,” he said. The film was helmed by a Nigerian director and featured top actors from Nigeria.
“When they approached me for an Indian role in that film, I told the director I’d be happy to work as an assistant director too. Initially, he was surprised, but he agreed. I worked as an AD for five days and as an actor for 25 days,” he added.
Still exploring different opportunities, Manoj was cast in a short film titled Men In Blue. “The filmmaker had won a National Award for his earlier film, and he was looking for a Vizag-based actor for this one. I applied, and he later suggested Praveena Paruchuri for another role,” Manoj said. Though he knew Praveena, they hadn’t spoken much until then.
“While interacting with her for this short film, she mentioned she was looking for someone to play the role of Ramakrishna. She gave me the script to read, and I really liked the character. I did my homework and gave an audition. Praveena liked it and finally selected me for the role,” he explained.
From starting in Vizag, then moving to Hyderabad, acting in an English film, and finally landing a Telugu lead role — Manoj’s dream has come true with Kothapallilo Okappudu.
“I play Ramakrishna, who works for Appanna, a moneylender. I want to break free from him, and I run a recording dance studio. I also have a love interest, Savitri. One day, I go to meet her at a location, and an unexpected incident happens — what follows is the story,” he said, teasing the film’s plot.
Manoj added that playing Ramakrishna was a challenging role. In a major boost to the project, actor Rana Daggubati watched the film, liked it, and came forward to present it.
For the role, Manoj had to undergo a major physical transformation. “Earlier, I was bulky. But for this film, I was asked to reduce weight. I worked for nearly two to three months and lost a lot of weight,” he shared.
“I’m confident that I’ll get more opportunities after this film. But for now, my dream has come true. I’m focused on the present and eagerly waiting for the release,” he said. Kothapallilo Okappudu is slated to release on July 18, and Manoj is counting down the days.
