I'm not in a hurry to play a hero; I want to prove myself as an actor first: Vivek Dandu
Having a successful director for a brother might seem like an easy entry into cinema. But for actor Vivek Dandu , it has meant the opposite. Watching his brother Karthik Dandu , the filmmaker behind films such as Virupaksha and the Naga Chaitanya-starrer Vrushakarma , struggle before finding success made Vivek rethink what it would take to build a career. Now, as he makes his debut as a passionate Chiranjeevi fan, in Panasapalli Fans Association, he speaks to Hyderabad Times about preparing for his first role and why he wants to establish himself as an actor before anything else.
‘I knew i had to prove myself on my own’
Talking about his brother’s journey and how that’s shaped his own ambition, Vivek says, “He is very talented and passionate. It’s not about his success or anything. When I saw him during his struggling days, his consistency and passion inspired me a lot. During my college days, I used to think about getting into acting. But when I saw my brother’s struggle, I realised that whatever I had might not be enough. We have to push beyond our strength.” Karthik’s advice was equally direct: “Don’t use my name. Don’t tell them that you are the film director’s brother. Do workshops or anything you need to do to get the role.”
‘I just want to be in the industry as an actor’
Vivek’s immediate priority, he says, is to establish himself through the roles he takes on, rather than the scale of his debut. “I don’t want to portray myself as a hero. I want to portray myself as a lead. A hero has to do all the commercial elements. If I fight with 10 goons, people may find it odd because I am a new face. I have already listened to more than 50 scripts, and three or four of them stood out because they will allow me to show my acting skills more. I just want to be successful as an actor in the film industry . If I succeed, I’ll continue as a lead. If not, I’ll at least stand behind the hero as a junior. But I won’t leave the industry. I just want to be in the industry as an actor.”
‘For my debut, the story came first’
For his debut, Vivek says he was looking for a story rather than simply a lead role, eventually landing on CH Ravikishore’s Panasapalli Fans Association, a 1990s-set village entertainer. “The story is impressive. There is full-length entertainment along with a message,” he says. He plays Raju, president of the Chiranjeevi Fans Association, opposite Sangeerthana Vipin’s Balakrishna fan-club president. “This is not a fanboy story, though. It is a satire on how fans were in the 1990s, in a healthy manner, without controversies.”
- Sanjana Pulugurtha
‘I knew i had to prove myself on my own’
Talking about his brother’s journey and how that’s shaped his own ambition, Vivek says, “He is very talented and passionate. It’s not about his success or anything. When I saw him during his struggling days, his consistency and passion inspired me a lot. During my college days, I used to think about getting into acting. But when I saw my brother’s struggle, I realised that whatever I had might not be enough. We have to push beyond our strength.” Karthik’s advice was equally direct: “Don’t use my name. Don’t tell them that you are the film director’s brother. Do workshops or anything you need to do to get the role.”
‘I just want to be in the industry as an actor’
Vivek’s immediate priority, he says, is to establish himself through the roles he takes on, rather than the scale of his debut. “I don’t want to portray myself as a hero. I want to portray myself as a lead. A hero has to do all the commercial elements. If I fight with 10 goons, people may find it odd because I am a new face. I have already listened to more than 50 scripts, and three or four of them stood out because they will allow me to show my acting skills more. I just want to be successful as an actor in the film industry . If I succeed, I’ll continue as a lead. If not, I’ll at least stand behind the hero as a junior. But I won’t leave the industry. I just want to be in the industry as an actor.”
‘For my debut, the story came first’
For his debut, Vivek says he was looking for a story rather than simply a lead role, eventually landing on CH Ravikishore’s Panasapalli Fans Association, a 1990s-set village entertainer. “The story is impressive. There is full-length entertainment along with a message,” he says. He plays Raju, president of the Chiranjeevi Fans Association, opposite Sangeerthana Vipin’s Balakrishna fan-club president. “This is not a fanboy story, though. It is a satire on how fans were in the 1990s, in a healthy manner, without controversies.”
- Sanjana Pulugurtha
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