Viraj Ashwin: Baby is one dish where all the ingredients have fallen into place | Exclusive

Viraj Ashwin (nephew to Marthand K Venkatesh) is a fourth-generation industry kid in a family full of editors, directors. Groomed by popular acting trainer Satyanand, the actor, who debuted with Anaganaga O Premakatha, has tread the slow-and-steady route, making progress as a performer with every outing - Thank You Brother, Maya Petika and the award-winning Manasanamaha.

His next, Baby, a love triangle, that releases this weekend, directed by Sai Rajesh, where he co-stars Anand Deverakonda, Vaishnavi Chaitanya, is poised to open well. In a chat with OTTplay.com, the actor discusses Baby, how the shoot reminded him of his college days and handling the highs and the lows of the profession.

In a recent interview, you claimed that it took time for you to get into the headspace of your rebellious character Arjun in Baby…

It’s natural to witness an aggressive streak in college-going students, you are immature, a rebel of sorts and react impulsively when things don’t go your way. Now that I’ve moved past that age, I’m calmer and settled mentally. When Sai Rajesh narrated the story, I identified with it because I’ve lived through that phase.

However, as someone who hasn’t experienced love in school/college life, I wasn’t sure if I would respond to a girl like my character in Baby. When the director explained his psyche and his limitations further, I decoded why he was behaving in a certain way and it helped me get the ‘metre’ of the character.

What was your first impression of Sai Rajesh, the director?

The project came to me via Dheeraj Mogilineni, a co-producer at Geetha Arts, and he’d introduced me to Sai Rajesh. Before the meeting, when I did my research, I was surprised by his line of thinking, going by the films he’d made - Hrudaya Kaleyam, Kobbari Matta.

My uncle was all praise for him for introducing a parody-style of filmmaking to Telugu cinema and how it tasted immense success in Tamil. I was slightly skeptical if I would fit in such a world. The only hope I had was his writing in Colour Photo, how he used a novel premise to make a hard-hitting film.

I heaved a sigh of relief when I realised it’s a love story and his narration, dialogues, characterisation bowled me over. He genuinely believed I fit the part and I sensed he had immense clarity about what he wants to tell across multiple meetings.

Did Baby’s shoot amidst a college backdrop remind you of your student days? What were those years like?

I graduated from GITAM, Vizag. I stayed near my uncle’s place, rode a bike to college and the vibe of the campus hit me differently. From friends to grounds to a game of cricket and our groups, I had a gala time and I was fully into sports. Baby is a love story but shooting for the montages of my chit-chats with friends in a campus took me down the memory lane. The love dimension to the story may be different from my life but I related to the character’s mad confidence that he can accomplish anything and found it quite realistic.

The scope of many genres like thrillers, horror films, period dramas is bound by trends but romances enjoy unparalleled love from viewers week after week. What explains the audience’s ‘love’ for such stories?

Love is a universal language. Regardless of any genre, a film won’t have soul until and unless it is bound by an emotion. With love, I believe everyone will connect with it and they’ll experience it in different phases of their life - it’s a fuel that drives our existence. Provided the presentation is fresh, the genre will always have takers and the emotion won’t fade.

Isn’t it a challenge as an actor to portray a done-to-death emotion like love differently film after film?

It is definitely challenging. When a random woman across the street comes and says ‘I love you’, you don’t react immediately and experience an awkwardness. However, when someone you know does that impromptu, you try your best to handle the situation better and not try to hurt them.

There were times in Telugu cinema where characters slip into a dream song after a proposal or one of the characters reacts quite dramatically to the situation. However, audiences have matured over time and expect characters to be more grounded and relatable. It’s important to keep the treatment and performances as realistic as possible.

It all boils down to how clear a director is about a character and captures the little details in his world. It’s inevitable that an actor will bring in an element of himself into every role and hence, casting becomes all the more crucial. When a director chooses you in a film and is convinced that your persona is closer to the role, you’ll have a better chance of staying true to its spirit.

Baby is your biggest release to date, there’s enough buzz for the film already and it is expected to open well. In comparison to your previous films, what has the team done differently to make this happen?

With Baby, I genuinely believe that the writing has made all the difference. The situations are intense, hardhitting, the characters are complex and are relatable to average viewers. SKN is well-known for his publicity activities and his presence as a producer was a true bonus in taking the film to audiences.

A director may be smart and imaginative, but only when he finds a capable producer, will he be able to execute it well. Sai Rajesh, SKN mutually believed in one another. Some of the finest technicians were a part of the project and they were equally inspired to give their best to the film. Baby is that dish where all ingredients have fallen into place.

You hail from a family of many technicians - BA Subba Rao, Marthand K Venkatesh, Shankar Marthand, K M Marthand. Have their inputs on the technical front bettered you as an actor?

My grandfather (KM Marthand) was no more when I decided to turn an actor. When my uncle (Marthand K Venkatesh) watched my first film Anaganaga O Premakatha, he was genuinely surprised because he only knew me as a shy boy who kept to himself and didn’t speak much. He was happy to see how I overcame my apprehensions and perform well.

He had a few suggestions too - the way I opened my mouth, how I groomed my hair, my diction. He thought I came a long way with Thank You Brother and said it was no joke to perform a role so contrasting to my real life persona. He called my mom after watching Maya Petika and applauded my portrayal of a Muslim boy. He felt I would get a big break in my career after watching Baby’s trailer. Baby is my third theatrical release and I’m hopeful of its prospects.

When a film doesn’t shape up or perform as per expectations, how do you deal with it? The people in and around the industry change conveniently as per the performance of your films

The industry treats you differently when you taste success or experience failure. It’s hard to blame anyone because the industry runs on money and they’re investing nearly Rs 2-3 crores in your film, trusting my craft. I believe one must give their best regardless of the scope of their role. Beyond success or failure, I need to be satisfied as a performer. I try my best to not react to the result of a film and let it affect my performance.

I never miss out on analysing my performances because when you put in a lot of effort and it doesn’t click, you need to know the reason behind it. From acting to the looks, presentation and the scope of the role, I try to understand what could’ve been better. Additionally, the team you’re surrounded by, is equally important.

Filmmaking is a culmination of 24 crafts. Even if you give your best, a film will not work if it isn’t written, filmed or directed well. We should be smart enough to choose your team wisely when you have the opportunity. When you choose a team that knows its responsibilities well, your stress is reduced.

What can one expect from your next film Mareechika, helmed by national-award winning filmmaker Satish Kasetty?

I wanted to shoot for Mareechika after Baby because I prefer doing one film at a time (though I may not have that luxury). When Baby’s shoot was pushed, I had to shoot for Mareechika earlier. It’s a very well written script and films like that need a strong screenplay.

Anupama Parameswaran, Regina Cassandra’s roles are extremely well written and I appreciate their decision to do a film purely trusting the story above anything else. I believe that conviction within the team will give us a hit. Personally, I loved that script. I dubbed for it only recently and I felt I gave my best. I consider it a blessing to be working in a film which has music by Ilaiyaraaja.