Dark Side of South Movies, Star Kids, Struggles, Car Accident & Rajamouli | Nani | FO350 Raj Shamani

41:32I've seen actors who are those clips get viral right? in the sense like yeah like yeah I've seen one or two clips where Rajni Khan is like all of that has happened and her actor at least the mega like the big stars and everyone has a very cult fandom worshiping kind of followership with you also it's there so why is it so strong worshiping see they also know we are not gods basically they love us too much they know, they 100 % know and they love us too much and when it is now again a competition between them to who will show more love to our own favorite star okay you did this to your favorite star I'll do this to my favorite star it is showing their love it's like it's like now for example you and your friend now your friend takes his kid to Disneyland then you'll like you'll put some effort to take your kid to Universal or something right it is like that it is love only but again you also want to show up like I will also do what I can do.

42:59It's a chain reaction of a lot of things. There's mad love. For them it is once they love an actor and they'll decide that he's my favorite actor and they start loving every small detail when something comes out or whatever that becomes a motive to be happy, excited about something. A lot of times, now cinema or something a lot of exciting things happen somebody who is doing some work or job or something a lot of people in our country is not really doing their doing something which they really love or anything a lot of times for life for a lot of reasons just to keep this going they will be working they will be extremely tired they want something to look forward to a release of the film or a discussion to talk about.

43:57Evening you meet up with friends in a lot of villages and in these towns. You take that quarter bottle and sit under one tree and have conversation. But is it all curated? Manufactured or organically? Organically? You cannot really manufacture the love but once after you reach a certain extreme level I'm sure there were I cannot really take the names But I know There are these huge stars Who Who kind of They have their managers Or people who Like Are in touch with the fans And they'll tell them What to do What not No What to do Not what to do What not to do No They will tell them There is an event at this Before the release of the film At this time All of you plan accordingly You'll all have to come For that pre-release event Or something like that there are people who coordinate things for them yeah but the love is not curated it comes from various reasons among themselves like why what like I know somebody one of the stars and I know this because I've had this conversation with them okay there are ways that you do 2 or 3 acts so that other 50 people also do it so first 2 or 3 acts could manufacture from their people so then is it for social media I mean to say I mean for the release before someone did act or did XYZ did something so that it will become news in social media so people follow like next 50 are like it is just FOMO yeah like they're fandom and they do it so it's called manufacturing a little bit yeah if the person who told you is someone from cinema who understands this very well someone who does it oh really he's a friend so I can't name it then it's a fact then yeah it's a general fact like I mean he wouldn't do it his team makes his fans do it oh he's an actor this friend he's an actor he's a star okay who has a big team and at the time of the launch the team would do certain things which he would be aware of he wouldn't ask them to do it he wouldn't deny them or ask them not to do it he is aware of it but his team is doing it and he is just like pretending okay just do something but everything is getting manufactured and then I have seen the result also that it becomes a big thing oh the same frame and it has worked according to him like lot of people do it.

46:50And the films have nothing to No, guy is big. There's genuine love. Millions of people follow this person. So but but this this hangama is manufactured. The start of the hangama is manufactured and then it becomes Oh. What happens outside the theatres or all the festivities and Oh. Interesting. Like I say if they go to a mall for example I'm just giving 50 would be there people only okay rest would because the 50 are going crazy rest 500 are also there but they will also go crazy like they need somebody to do crazy thing to start sometimes those 50 are just there not to do anything crazy because people are already doing it but if nothing happens then I hope everyone sees this and those 150 see this and the next time they see 50 people I am like I am not falling for this scam when they do it lot of people do it around the country around the world there are lot of people who do some stuff so this you don't think people manufacture things no I've I've never been but managers do it you were also saying that managers are in touch with that they will come here they will give them pre-information this is what I this is what I know that some pre-release event time they will say if they have to come from they always call us there's one number in the office of all they will call can I talk to or something they will keep getting calls they will keep getting letters they will keep getting so they will they will want to tell them that there is a pre-release event so that they can plan their this is different because whoever is calling whoever is constantly saying when can we get to see they will say on that day there is a pre-release event we will put someone and you can collect the passes or something that will happen because Because in South, pre-release events are the big event before the release of the film.

48:53And that is where, you know, all the fans get to see the... The stuff. You know, we do these interviews and do all those things. But they are the ones who run the show. Sure. You know. And they should get to meet the actor and all that. So, once in a while, we actually do now, for example, I've done a couple of times. What really matters to them is to have photograph with them. With a favorite star. Right. And we have put a venue, location and informed them that on that day from morning to evening, I'll be standing there and it'll be pictures, pictures, pictures, pictures for everyone and lunch and everything will be organized for them.

49:35And they'll be so happy to make their day. And I've done that twice or two or three times because putna responsibility to once. picture taking events do you have friends in the industry I have I have a lot of friends who is your closest friend in the industry closest in the sense in the industry no

50:04everyone is a friend but in the industry there is no friend everyday evening it's not like that but everyone is a friend for anything I release or anything there is a lot of them would call and talk but who can you call in a bad time or a good time Rana Rana is Rana is friend with everybody he is very good he is Tariq is a good friend very rarely but I have great time with Prabhasana every time I meet him what makes him so big like what do you think what's charm about him who Prabhas he's a good man he's a very good man and it's very hard to stay a good man in that position so I think that comes across I think people see it even though you might not say this like how I said it but it comes across yeah so he's he's just a very good man yeah because his stardom is after Bahubali of course stardom has obviously the projects he did and the way he has it after Bahubali he became a rage around yeah I mean before he was a big Telugu star now he's like a big star yeah across yeah the way things fell in place for him with Baobali or everything and the way he's extremely liked and then off screen person also it comes across like what I said I think it is not one thing too many things yeah it's like what is that called butterfly effect yeah who do you see as a role model my role model is Kamal sir why?

51:47why because he's the one who inspired me because see it's not about when I thought I've my love for cinema in a way okay it started off understanding Mani Sars Manaritan Sars films and watching a lot of Kamal Sars films and the more I got to know about him I got to know that he's only one person who who now Kamal sir is on location on set the DOP knows he knows better the makeup guy who puts makeup on Kamal sir knows that he knows better so the director knows that he knows better every technician on set knows that their craft but he knows better then they all are on their toes they end up giving their best because the man who's standing there knows better okay and that is the kind of love for cinema he has he he needs to learn something every single day that is a passion and the kind of choices he made the kind of roles he picked he's he's a big inspiration in so many ways you're talking about people how can we miss Rajamali sir and that was I think the breakout also for you and in some level yeah and I've just done a 30 minute role in the film but that was my biggest break at that time because uh i've done the four films five films till then five films did decently well and i was this upcoming actor in telugu but suddenly after ega people from north know me people from dubai know me not everyone but people used to recognize me people from chennai know me people from kochi know me people from bangalore so suddenly one recognition happened with that film so what do you think Rajomali sir ki khas bat kaya hai what's the best thing about him he's a very childlike person extremely childlike person childlike in the sense the wonder so what is cinema now we would we would watch a film and we used to feel certain way sitting in the theatre as a kid right now we grow up and then we understand And the practicalities and techniques and whatever, whatever.

54:11We don't see it like that anymore with Wonder film. Ryan Walisar now, right now, being the top director in the country. He'll go sit in Brasad Multiplex on every Friday to watch a film. And I see him, a lot of times he came for my films on the day one. Because I go there. And with the family he comes. And I look at him from behind. I'll be looking at him. He'll be sitting with family. He'll have one constant smile on his face watching the film. Watching my film or any film for that sake Like he is in wonder with cinema He is still that kid who loves cinema, adores cinema He is just mesmerized by it He makes those films, he is taking them to Oscars and all that But again he will come and watch a simple film And he will be mesmerized by it I think that is a great quality I think that is what makes him Rajabani After a point you will start believing that you are this person and then you know this much and then you start looking at everything like that person.

55:13No. He is the same child who loved cinema. How much ever he grows, he still approaches it like that. Even at the shoot. You should see him on shoot. He is like a kid. He runs around. He does things. He acts and shows. He fixes things. He will show. He will go tell the Jimmy guy to why will it not rotate like this. Then he will tell some technique. And then he says it can't be rotated like that. then Rajmali sir will say I will show you how it will rotate okay he will crack a weight to make it happen and he's he gets he puts a drum reverse and he gets onto the drum and he'll call all the unit and he'll tell every scene to everyone okay and he builds in that he's a great leader also it's just a combination of the right things do you like Sandeep Randivanga?

56:00I love Sandeep you love? yeah why do you think he is delivering such great movies and then little controversial although at the same time do you agree with that kind of cinema of course anything original is controversial explain anything political is not controversial no like if you are trying to be politically right only then you won't be controversial you would say anything without a filter it's controversial so you like I have at least 3, 4 or 5 times stopped from taking some name or something or something which I would have said it to you if we were discussing somewhere that's not in front of the mic, right?

56:44That is why this might not be controversial but technically when you really open your heart and do something or say something it will be controversial. Sandeep is a very very original filmmaker. What he feels what the kind of heat which comes in comes out onto the frame. And that has to be controversial. It is not art if it doesn't disturb you. And if that statement is true, then Sandeep is master of that. But do you think all the conversations are responsible, you don't agree with that? you don't agree with that responsible not to not to kill you shouldn't do something for the sake of it or because to put because oh this is selling so I will do this if you are doing those things for some money or something else or for different reasons then I will call you responsible you can do that but if it is you you want to tell the story in fact if now for example if you see Sandeep's film he took the riskiest way you might nothing is a temporary thing nothing he was trying to sell nothing is like oh because it worked I'm going to put no everything is so original true so it's that you cannot question that now I remember when I was in US to promote the film Mahayana Sandeep was there and one more day if he stays we would have got up there we wanted to meet he also wanted to but he at any cost he had to come back to what he was telling it's my wife's birthday I had to go back I know a lot of guys who do that yeah but who talks so well nice things appropriate things or whatever whatever so I think he's he's very original that way and I really like that guy but do you think which actors maybe yourself at some point to live up to an image you have to stay a little different way in the sense in the real life now that I've become an actor and people see me as this good boy I have to pretend and be in a certain way so that I get more love like the real you you can't show everyone that who you are has it ever felt?

59:16definitely I wouldn't like I crack very terrible silly jokes which my friends love. Okay. I can't do that in front of my mind. Why? Why not? No, somehow it's not that I haven't I shouldn't or whatever, whatever. There's a certain now when I'm outside what I say is what I say and it's the truth what I feel. But it's like what you can do with no i love my dad okay but how i can be with my sister i can't be with my dad right yeah it's that's just that no that doesn't mean i'm being a different person in front of my dad it's not the fear that maybe i cancel or not that i can't open up like that but do you fear that that i will say friends if i have told them in public then maybe public in public there is no fear but in interviews there is social media because they will twist what happens we will take one line and say we will say we will say we will say we will say we will say we will say we will say we will say we will say 200-300 comments and all that and then 10-20 other people will copy paste it without knowing the context and by the time you can't even clear that right interviews said every time before every film i'll say something and they'll misquote me oh give me an example this is interesting i don't know what did i say last time something happened i've said after one of my films something I've said, okay.

1:01:15And it was a media meet. Entire only media is called. And it was on the first or second day. So I said, you only say no. Ask for good films. Why are the good films not coming? Then you should support good film or something. so the media carried that article as if I am saying it to the audience oh yeah so so the audience get offended right say oh now we are complaining about audience level so basically some if you trigger something you get that engagement or whatever and that has now because now there are some too many a lot of you know handles or whatever which are considered media everyone wants content from morning to evening they continuously are in pressure to post something a lot of them post without because somebody posted then everybody posts that and everybody will add two more comments by their own so the circulation will become so much of that that becomes the fact and the truth becomes the rumor you married your childhood love yeah not childhood love I was grown by then but 2007 when I was 23 years old yeah I started seeing her how did you guys meet?

1:02:48oh I met her Anju Anjana Alavarti her name is and I met her through she's my friend's cousin okay Okay. And I used to meet my friend at that time, Praveen, her name is, and Prashanti, her sister, and their cousin, Shays. And I used to meet, and we went to her house, and then she was here for holidays. She's from WISAC. And then when we all had to go out together, and then we stayed in touch from then. Shays has nothing to do with films or anything, and I was going to debut, do my first film. And I asked her first And they are like a very well Fully educated family And her grandfather is a Very known scientist and all Every year there is an award on his name Wow And me full I don't even know what my career is And I am doing saying movies I am going to act and all that I was not sure if they will be okay or not So I started a conversation saying And she was like my could be whatever problem I said no okay we this is how I think the first conversation we were friends only we were talking but they just said five years from now if I am doing very well in my career and I have like the future is looking bright you think I can come with my parents and talk to your parents is the first question before that there is no discussion about you know not even should we date or anything also no idea just friends and she said yes I think you should that's how it started good question very good question I was not in a position to ask then so I am one futurist takes a shot I try but it's a good way I love the question yeah and so obviously five years later I said but the conversations will start the moment will happen now so yeah smart so all my boys who are thinking you one day everything now you might not have anything to you know take that move say when everything is okay and everything is perfect then I can ask if you ask if she says yes then you know the moment everything starts now but then they have to become someone like you also that's the harder part also yeah that five years went in the right direction that five years went in good direction yeah yeah perfect and then what's next for you politician who me no chance why I'll write it down I'll sign it and give it to you why here itself not my thing but isn't it that in south usually politicians are stars it's not like everybody becomes not everybody but people like it but people like it people want you to They come to you with problems more than they go to politicians, right?

1:06:00No, but not like that. But the people become politicians for different reasons. But I don't, for me, I cannot handle it. I can't see those clips of politicians talking or whatever. Would you win if you stand in an election? Of course you would. Debatable. I love how you doshed it no I don't know I genuinely like would I win it's a question I would have crossed my mind seeing someone but I really don't know I don't know but I never why did it do it? not my thing I won't it's not if I want to do anything for the people I'll do it myself and I'm making enough money through films for cinema whatever I can do first if we all stand up for the people around us we don't need politicians do you have their the party culture is that as strong as it is in Bollywood no no so industry is so much in the same way in the same way in the same way in the same way in the same way in the same way at least for watching yes that doesn't happen actually we sometimes party you don't even know the party it's in the house at home we'll call for dinner and we'll chill with the drink it's more like that

1:07:35for sure industry parties is is a thing right Bollywood parties is a thing that thing is not people don't do it why? I think we understand then get there maybe this is the next step or I don't know that there is no culture and it's just like there is a little ego around actors between them there? do you think there is no ego here that's why parties are happening no no for sure it's human beings right so yeah so I don't think there are many people ego there are many people in there many people are doing it then there are parties many people are staying with it but they are not ego they are not ego many people are staying with it but they are also ego like I know three four people who friends hang out together but they are jealous and compete with each other.

1:08:24So that also happens. I think that all that happens everywhere. Everywhere. So maybe it's a culture. Maybe it's a culture. What do people party on, bound on? Like what gets you together? Cinema, obviously. Cinema. And I think once in a while now for example something someone wins in an award or some special recognition they will call everyone and one evening we'll all spend yeah and then it'll be like a success of the film sometimes it could be a film which became a blockbuster and we'll call everyone just like that ab pohot south movies nationally globally perceived ki jati right and uska audience bhi bhot bada wang gaya like now I was talking to one of the media heads and one of these people in the theatres business ki south ke numbers are doing equally well as in Hindi belt as they would like as Hindi movies would do right so now it's a big market for you guys and a lot of Telegu actors Tamil actors have started interacting with Hindi media a lot so movies also become so that because they're watching Bollywood or Hindi belt so they're also making it so they're in mind after a it just opened with everyone the movies that's that he didn't make it in the thought process he didn't make it then but now now he doesn't know that he didn't make it in the thought process because when he made it maybe he failed when he didn't make it he was making the original film exciting film so I don't think now we'll think in that direction at all now any of the films Kanthara Pushpa Arara Bahubali or any of this film films KGF are not films all the films which ran are not the films which are which they have kept in mind and they have not kept any audience or any Bollywood in the audience the reference is very clear you do a great film you do something exciting so you don't do larger than life for the image for the movies it will happen and it will happen and I am doing what most exciting things I am getting and it's being received with so much of love someday one shocker will happen yeah which one's your biggest Hindi belt movie the one which here in the theatres you mean theatres or Netflix through numbers that is Hi Papa Hi Nana huge for Netflix there on 23 weeks or something on top and it was always it was number one it was Hi Papa yeah huge success for Netflix and Hindi belt people everyone saw and in theatres and in Superglady and all those films on YouTube everyone saw and theatre I've only every time it was extremely limited release a little more decent but still limited release was Dasara yeah so that only saw the most numbers among my films yeah Dasara was a typical Telegu movie like a good movie which I would love to watch yeah but if you are a Telugu person you won't say that is a typical Telugu film I'm not a Telugu person for me please pardon me guys I am sorry for my it was a very rustic raw rustic like I could when I put that movie on I know that I am watching a South Indian movie of course yeah like it's a heavy the story the build up the characters also the set up backdrop it's South Indian coal mines of course yeah So that's what I meant.

1:12:16Yeah, got it. Okay, so don't quote me on other things. So I was like, how ignorant this guy is. No, no, I didn't, I didn't. You only gave clarification also. Clarification, who will cut? Correct. Here's my last question. When was the accident? Exactly.

1:12:38Before I bought my first car when the accident happened, where I took a friend's car. Which car was it? Ford Fiesta. Ford Fiesta? Okay. And what was the accident? It was, we were going on this highway and there was this in between the road after the turning in the highway and it's like a long road in between the fields where the highways pitched at only, you can see it only with your headlights in the night. and there's a lorry which is broke down in between the road and they put HRKO stems like that they pierced in it and it's a old lorry nothing the tail lamps are, nothing is working so till one, now it would be at least at 1900 on the highway only when I turned I saw the lights on the truck but by the time I turned truck is right in front of me in 100 speed.

1:13:41So it went down under. So the back of the truck, the lorry, broke the shield, glass, everything I'm driving. It stopped here. Yeah. Like this tall glass pieces and all. Everywhere. I opened it. I opened my door and my friend was sitting there next to me. You can feel the blood rush. Like that. You can feel it exactly. Oh, the blood rush is happening. Exactly. I pushed it. I couldn't open the door. I could see on that highway's vehicle stopping in a distance to see what happened. I pushed it. And there was one friend in the behind. He was fine. I got down. I was... It was all... This. And I suddenly...

1:14:32I was losing control. And suddenly I heard that backseat friend calling Prashant Prashant. the friend who was sitting in the front seat his name was Prashant he is with me, he is in my production right now, okay so that when he started screaming that scared me so much I am driving and my friend was sitting there, something happened to him, I know I won't live with myself so I just walked around the car I don't know what was happening, I walked around the car dragged Prashant, he was in the In the left seat he was like this. Not reacting. And we dragged him out. I dragged him out. And I was screaming.

1:15:22Prashant, prashant, prashant.

1:15:27He got up like that and I fell. That means my body, mind was holding for me to know that he was okay. I went flat. He woke up and I felt it was like, you know. But, and we were taken. So after that, we both were taken to the nearby Kamenini hospital. And I got into ambulance. And on the way, one more action happened. A van coming from Sambijavada Pelli or something. So the ambulance guy asked us, We are already bleeding. Sir, some accident happened here. Can we get them to the hospital? Because we are still on. I said, of course, of course. And that is a big family. In the marriage, these clothes, like nicely decked up.

1:16:24All of them bleeding. It's a bad accident. There was a baby. Now we were in pain, no? The moment they came in with all the pain and seeing their baby and all, We became numb. We couldn't feel anything. And I was just listening to their... I went and sat outside that kid was taken into ICU. That it got very serious. I didn't go into the doctor room. I sat outside that ICU. And that kid was there. And waited till morning. Didn't tell anyone at home. Didn't tell anyone. We didn't inform that. Wanted to know what happened to the girl. They said she was very critical in the morning. That kind of, that one night changed everything for me.

1:17:12What did it change? A lot of things. I think how I look at life and how I look at pain, how I look at, how I understand this little time we spend here is very different after that. That was a crazy experience. And after that do you try? Pain is only pain until it's all extremely nice around you. Then what you see or what you feel about people around you, then you cannot feel your pain. True. Yeah. So it's a very dramatic moment for me. But do you drive after that? After that, I've stopped. You stopped? I drive once in a while. No, if I have to Nobody, I need to take this car out Before it used to be like, I'll drive Or else you would No, I don't Sometimes suddenly I'll sit in that side seat I'll fall asleep I'll open the eyes I see that suddenly There'll be one truck going The other way So basically we're going to the other ride But that truck was stopped right so suddenly I will get up and I will like get up like that because of that's a very powerful visual it doesn't go away from your head and this is how old were you when this happened I was three films old three films old 26 okay before your wedding before your wedding before my wedding yeah and wow that's she saw that I went with an accident in watching TV in her house scrolling and she can't tell her mother.

1:19:03Mother is sitting next to her. That's okay. She saw you on the news. On the news that Delgai met with an accident and she can't even react because mother is sitting next to her. Can't call me, can't reach me. Doesn't know what happened and it's just a scrolling says actor Nani met with an accident on the highway. Don't know what happened. And Harts was a different kind of story for that night. She must be thinking 20 ,000 things. What happened? I want to have been mad. Well, perfect. All the best for your next movie. And thank you so much for sharing so many good things. I had a great time. It was actually quite a long day.

1:19:45But it was like, felt like just, you see, chatting with a friend. I've heard random things about myself as well. And it's just weird. so one of the startups I invest I was going to invest but I didn't invest and I'm just close friends with the founder so somebody said that I made around rows in that and I'm like that's what I thought when I saw your studio

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