Vijay Deverakonda interview: At 60, I want to be a respected actor who has tasted stardom, not be an unhappy star

Two days after the release of his Telugu film Kingdom, directed by Gowtam Tinnanuri, Vijay Deverakonda is still taking in the response. He is yet to watch the film in theatres but is game to answer queries about the plot points during a media interaction.

When he settles down for this interview, he gets candid about the highs and lows in his career. Edited excerpts from the conversation: 

What’s your state of mind right now? Has the success sunk in? 

I think it will take a while. I fully grasped the extent of Geetha Govindam’s success only a year ago. Back then I didn’t understand all the talk about collections and asked (producer) Bunny Vasu and others whether it’s a hit. About a year ago when I saw some footage of the promotions and how the film drew the audiences, it sunk in. Rashmika (Mandanna) and I talked about it and said, “we should have enjoyed this at the time”. It is seven years too late. She called me yesterday and said, “I hope you are enjoying the reception (to Kingdom).”

Taxiwaala did reasonably well, and Dear Comrade was appreciated over time. But is Kingdom your biggest hit after Geetha Govindam?

It sure is. Kingdom has given me the intense love of the audiences yet again. Kushi also opened well but in hindsight, we all felt that the ‘conflict point’ between the couple — one being a believer and the other an atheist — was resolved too quickly. It could have been explored further for the emotional connection with the audience. Shiva Nirvana (director) was keen to move on to their tussle over having a child. It was a creative call. It was tough to judge at the time.

In the last seven years, how did you pick yourself up when your films did not work as expected? 

I give my best to every film. And I have asked why cannot God, or the Universe, take my side. I have had sleepless nights. At night when the world is asleep and you are alone, wide awake with a racing mind, it is rough. This happened to me a lot over the last two to three years. But I would wake up the next morning, hit the gym and prepare for my next film. Before Kingdom’s release, I was aware that whatever be the outcome, I need to give my 100% when I begin filming for Rahul Sankrityan’s film on August 4.

After the stupendous success of Pelli Choopulu, director Tharun Bhascker said he had a panic attack and faced an imposter syndrome, weighed down by all the praise. Did you face a similar situation after seeing both highs and lows?

When Tharun told me about what he was going through, I did not understand it. I found it absurd and as a dear friend, would ask him to enjoy the success. My focus shifted to how to get to the next step — learn dancing, horse riding, get fitter… 

Arjun Reddy was made within a 5-crore budget. Sandeep (Reddy Vanga) and I travelled to Italy with a four-member team. There was no crew, caravan, makeup or hairdresser. We made do with the bare minimum. The thought was about what we could have done with better amenities or a bigger crew.

After tasting success and getting these facilities, it was frustrating when I could not see the desired result on screen for all the effort that was going into a film. What upset me more is not being able to live up to my potential.

People turn up in large numbers on the opening day of your films. These are audiences in different age groups. Have you wondered what makes people look forward to your films despite the setbacks?

I have no idea. But this audience and their love is very important to me. I did my first few films for survival, to make some money and get another opportunity to act. Now I do not want people to lose faith in me.

For instance, I can watch any Leonardo DiCaprio film. I may not like one odd film, but I will still watch his films because of his performance and the intent to narrate something of quality.

Likewise, when people see my poster and come to watch a film, I do not want them to be disappointed. My problem is I am a man in a rush. I have no patience for a slow journey.

Did you set out to become an actor or a star? Did that change over the years?

I have a bad memory, so I don’t recall much. A dear friend who has known me since I was 20, told me much later that I had said, ‘I am going to be an actor; not just any actor, but the biggest actor’. This was when I was doing theatre. She was worried about me and the journey ahead.

At the time of Pelli Choopulu, all that Tharun and I wanted was to ensure that the film makes some money. The film was completed within ₹60 lakh. We hoped that if it earned a crore, we could take a salary of ₹10 lakh each. We hoped to make one film a year, within a crore each, and encourage aspiring directors.

The plan changed after Arjun Reddy and Geetha Govindam became massive hits. The feeling of being loved is addictive and dangerous. Now my idea is to find a balance between achieving greatness and being happy. It is conflicting. Sometimes I want to be great at the cost of being happy. At other times, I wonder what the point of being a huge star is if I am unhappy. I want to be happy with my loved ones and enjoy the work I do.

When I am 60, I want to be considered a respected actor of my time who has also seen crazy stardom; but I don’t want to be an unhappy star wondering what I did with my life beyond film releases and tracking numbers.