Flamboyance and Leos, we had thought were intrinsically linked. But the reclusive Mahesh Babu who turned 35 a couple of days ago continues to baffle in more ways than one.
For starters, no superstar so far had taken on an almost three-year sabbatical while at the peak of his career, but Mahesh has done it and before we could attribute it to sheer leonine arrogance given his huge fan base (he’s even got the most number of followers amongst the T-towners, on his micro-blogging site), he confesses that “it wasn’t meant to be as long as it turned out to be!”
Dearth of good scripts apart, the making of his ready-for-release film Khaleja took a good two years. While revamping the script did take time, the other factors that lead to the delay was the demise of wife Namrata’s parents and the passing away of Mahesh’s grandmom. But his long break from films “was a positive experience all the way” and has helped him “grow as a human being and an actor.”
Talking of Khaleja, Mahesh says he “fell for the script” though he was “not sure how it would be carried forward”. “But the final turnout was fab and the delay was worth it,” he observes and adds, “In this film you will see a totally different characterisation of me, I’ve never seen myself in that light as an actor.”
In real life too we see a different Mahesh in action, there’s goss that he’s got three films riding on him - Sreenu Vytla’s Dookudu, a Raja Mouli film and the remake of 3 Idiots - now that seems a bit too much for someone who’d barely do two films a year! “I am not on a signing spree. The films I have signed are sufficiently spaced out,” he justifies. On his essaying Aamir’s role in the remake of 3 Idiots, he says, “It’s still not finalised. I can’t comment on this, as it is still under talks ... ”
Being a superstar has its pluses and also has its limitations if you believe him. “It’s not very easy to experiment with roles in Telugu cinema, but I try and bring novelty into the character I play” he quips.One has to agree with that, for Mahesh has been able to break away from the image in his earlier films that were akin to his father superstar Krishna. But he’s quick to point out he’s a big fan of his father, though he’s emerged from the shadow of the superstar. “I am a big fan of my father. I am proud to be his son. He’s always been my idol. Alluri Seetharamaraju is my all-time favourite and despite him having such a huge body of work to his name, I have been able to carve a unique image for myself.” So does he have plans of doing Hindi films? “Only if the script excites me,” he quips.Talking of his marriage he says that it “has been a blessing in more ways than one. Gautam (my son) is the biggest gift I have ever received. It’s because of him I have been able to realise the importance of being alive and being present for your loved ones. I can safely say that I like being in this stage.”
By his own admission, Mahesh is neither a fitness freak nor is he into diets. Besides a simple exercise regimen, he does not go off bounds, thanks to his genes.
Those who follow him on the Net know how generous he is when it comes to appreciating his co-stars be it the “rocking songs” in Komaram Puli or his best wishes to the Robot team. He’s “tremendously influenced by Eckhart Tolle’s A New Earth-Awakening to Life’s Purpose and tries to follow the book as much as he
can!
