‘Manu Charitra’ is the story of a flawed youngster: Actor Shiva Kandukuri

It’s the story of Manu who apparently fails in relationships with every girl that he makes friends with. Jennifer, Priya, Janu, then Shravya, you name it, Manu would take an interest in every girl in Warangal.

How does he get into substance abuse? And what’s his destiny? That’s what the film is about. And there is the twist of an honour killing, too!

Similarities with Arjun Reddy

Shiva Kandukuri recent stint ‘Manu Charitra’. (Shiva Kandukuri/ Instagram)

Asked if Manu Charitra is another Arjun Reddy, Shiva Kandukuri says, “Manu Charitra has a bit of Arjun Reddy in it. But it has no profanity nor does the protagonist have anger-management issues. But the film has elements of blood, rowdyism, love and despair.”

He hastens to add: “Profanity looks bad when it is forced. There is a certain degree of profanity in Arjun Reddy which you may feel indispensable.”

After hearing the narration of Manu Charitra, the actor felt that people wouldn’t take the character seriously if there was profanity.

“It is a flawed character, but I thought it wouldn’t have been that impactful had there been cuss words added in the film. Talking about the similarity with Arjun Reddy, certain emotions are pretty common in every individual, say pain and anger,” he quips.

Also Read: I want to experiment with new-age cinema, says Shiva Kandukuri

Warangal and local dialect

Shiva Kandukuri (Shiva Kandukuri/ Instagram)

Having been brought up in Warangal, Shiva Kandukuri has fond memories of the city’s cross-cultural lifestyle before he flew to the US.

His character in Manu Charitra has that ruggedness of rural youth. However, the slang is not the local dialect.

“We made it neutral. It was a conscious call from the director because there is so much advancement and cultural change happening in recent times compared to the Warangal that I grew up in as a boy,” he explains.

The actor further adds: “The local dialect that I know since school days is not prevalent anymore. Even the accent in other cities has become neutralised due to so many factors — be it social media or cross-cultured social fabric. So, we took a call to give the young characters a neutral accent. The older people in the film speak the old Warangal dialect though.”

Detached actor

Shiva Kandukuri in ‘Gamanam’. (Shiva Kandukuri/ Instagram)

The Gamanam (2021) actor has mastered the art of detachment. It is because of the influence of his grandfather’s spiritual master Sivananda Murthy, who once propagated the philosophy of yoga and spiritual science.

“Looking at life differently, the importance of meditation made me more aware of myself and get detached from my work,” he remarks.

About his grandfather, Shiva Kandukuri says, “I have had the privilege to learn spiritual practices from my grandpa. I was very attached to him and am certainly influenced by him. As part of my daily routine, I would occasionally sit and practice what he preached to me. I learnt the art of detachment from him.”

He notes that success shouldn’t be taken to the head, nor failures to heart. “Success and failures are the fruits of things you have done in the past. If you take success to your head, it’s not something that you did today; it was the fruit of yesterday. So, this philosophy really hit me hard.”

“I used to read the books of Ramana Maharshi as a boy. I had a lot of exposure to literature because my grandfather was an ardent follower of Ramana Maharshi. It was passed on to my father and now, I have started reading it, more than anything it taught me how to have a better look at life,” he adds.

Also Read: ‘Jee Karda’ is a tale of friendship with good dose of fun and drama

Interest in spiritual science

‘Manu Charitra’ poster. (Shiva Kandukuri/ Instagram)

Shiva Kandukuri likes to explore scripts along the lines of spiritual science. But he is apprehensive about how the audience would receive it.

“A couple of scripts were pitched to me. Mythology, spiritual science, and modernity are perceived differently by different individuals. So, there is a danger in how the audience would perceive it. We might lose that creative control over such subjects. If it goes awry, it might look like propaganda to promote something. Only a filmmaker with complete conviction can justify all the crafts,” he points out.

Starring Shiva Kandukuri, Megha Akash, Priya Vadlamani, Pragati Shrivatsav, Suhaas, Dali Dhananjay, and Srikanth Iyengar in key roles, Manu Charitra is directed by Bharath Pedagani under Narala Srinivas Reddy under Proddutur Talkies banner.