As a kid, Tej grew up watching his uncle Pawan Kalyan's foray into Telugu cinema and the long road to stardom in becoming Powerstar.
Published Jul 27, 2023 | 12:32 PM ⚊ Updated Aug 09, 2023 | 3:24 PM
Sai Dharam Tej. (jetpanja/ Instagram)
Actor Sai Dharam Tej has been nurtured by his maternal uncle Powerstar Pawan Kalyan since his childhood.
As a kid, Tej grew up watching his uncle’s foray into Telugu cinema and the long road to stardom, climbing up the ladder in the entertainment industry as Powerstar.
And the political stint to stand for the voiceless — all these have had an everlasting impact on Tej.
Ahead of the release of Bro (on 28 July), Sai Dharam Tej interacted with the media on Wednesday, 26 July where he shared some insights into the much-awaited film and the ever-charming Pawan Kalyan.
Sai Dharam Tej with Pawan Kalyan (jetpanja/ Instagram)
“Kalyan garu has been a huge support since my foray into films. I don’t say I am being nurtured and mentored by him. But I can’t define his intervention in my life. It happened subterraneously. His blessings and his cannot be seen, but they exist,” the actor said.
He revealed that he enjoyed taking funny banters from Pawan Kalyan on the Bro sets.
“He would tickle my funny bones as much as he would do to me when I was a child. Kalyan mama would chide me and tease me sometimes — my childhood days came in a flash.”
Pawan Kalyan in ‘Bro’ (jetpanja/ Instagram)
Regarding Pawan Kalyan’s work ethics, Tej remarked, “He is like a father figure to me. Despite Kalyan mama‘s active political commitments in Andhra Pradesh, he managed to sneak time to complete the project. His work ethics on the sets are completely different.”
The Virupaksha actor said that noticing Kalyan meticulously slipping into the character of time (on Bro sets) helped him learn to draw a boundary between his professional life and personal life.
“Pawan Kalyan is irreplaceable. He is my guru. He really pushed me hard to bring out the best in me (for Bro).”
Recalling an incident, Sai Dharam Tej revealed that his hands started shivering slightly just before the shoot one day.
“An unknown fear sieged me. Pawan mama came to me and said, ‘Why is it happening? I am here with you. I am the same person you see me at home.’ That gesture filled my heart. There has been no pressure since then. I performed with ease on all 21 days of the shoot,” he added.
Sai Dharam Tej with his family. (jetpanja/ Instagram)
A bike accident left a deep psychological scar on Tej a few months ago. And the news on YouTube has hurt him deeply.
Abdul Farhan, who helped Tej in reaching the hospital on time, became fodder for the ever-hungry media.
“Don’t take me wrong but YouTubers made things worse. I have been in constant touch with Abdul. I’m forever grateful to Abdul Farhan. I don’t want to do away with him by giving some amount. I want to travel with such people throughout my life,” Tej said.
The trend of multi-starrer flicks within the mega family is not new in Tollywood. In fact, Tej wants to act alongside Megastar Chiranjeevi, but he has no clue how to manifest it.
Sai Dharam Tej will be next seen in ‘Bro’. (jetpanja/ Instagram)
“I have a dream to act with all three uncles — Nagendra Babu, Chiranjeevi, and Pawan Kalyan. I did two movies with Nagendra Babu mama — Subramanyam For Sale (2015) and Jawaan (2017). And now, Bro happened with Kalyan mama. I’m now waiting for a project to happen with Chiranjeevi garu.”
The actor further added, “I want to do films with my cousins, too. I don’t know when they will materialise.”
Sai Dharam Tej doesn’t want to remake any of Kalyan’s films. But he wants to remake the iconic Tholi Prema (1998) and Thammudu (1999), if anything comes his way.
The actor shares a deep bonding with actors outside his family. He is longing to act with Ravi Teja and Prabhas.
“These two are my favourites. And later, I would like to work with Kalyan Ram anna. Manchu Manoj is again my sweetheart. We once planned a film but it did not work out, ” he signed off.
