'Loafer was a challenge, and I enjoyed it'

'In the last month, I must have heard 20-30 scripts. I am waiting for Loafer to release before I sign more films.'

Varun Tej is quite thrilled about his third movie release, Loafer.

The going has been good for Varun Tej, son of Nagababu and nephew of Chiranjeevi, who has played different characters in three films he has done so far.

The young actor’s third film Loafer, directed by Puri Jagannath, is up for release on December 17. It co-stars Disha Patani.

In this interview with Rediff.com contributor Radhika Rajamani, Varun discusses Loafer and also talks about his career so far.

Loafer seems to be in direct contrast to your last film Kanche. How did you bag this film?

I was supposed to work with Puri earlier but that did not happen.

Then Krish signed me for Kanche.

When I was shooting in Georgia, I got a call from Puri. I met him and he narrated the Loafer script to me.

Yes, Loafer is in direct contrast to Kanche. I just had a day in between before I began to work on Loafer. It was because of Puri I could pull it off. It's something I have not done before.

In what sense?

In terms of the character I played.

In Kanche, it was a period character.

In Mukunda, it was a small-town guy.

In Loafer, I play a conman from an urban area, who indulges in dirty work with his dad.

Puri is known for his rough, dominating characters. Doing this was a challenge and I enjoyed it.

What is Loafer about?

It is the story of a son and a mother. The son loves his mother but is distanced from her and how they bond later. There have been mother-son films in Telugu, but of late, there have been few films revolving around this theme.

Is the mother-son sentiment drawn from real life?

This is a basic emotion anyone can relate to. There are some situations and few scenes which are life-like. It is a nice emotional film.

Revathy plays your mother in this film. How did you feel sharing space with her?

She is a fabulous person and a great artiste. She has worked with big names like Kamal Haasan, my uncle Chiranjeevi and is a director herself but she is grounded and made me feel comfortable. I saw her dedication to work and learnt from that. Our conversations initially revolved around cinema but towards the end, about actors and life.

After Kanche, where you acted with Pragya Jaiswal, you are acting with another newcomer Disha.

Yes. Pragya had done a film before but Kanche was her debut.

Disha has a crucial role in Loafer. She is the reason for the mother-son to meet. However, it is the mother who has more footage.

Disha is a pretty girl and a fabulous dancer. She is hard working. Language can be a barrier and I know the difficulties I faced in my first film. So I helped her. She is a fabulous co-star.

What did you observe in Puri Jagannath and what did you learn from him?

I know a lot of directors who do not have bound scripts and improvise. Puri has a bound script. He gives space to the actor and takes inputs. He is good at extracting things.

In his films, actors have a nice carefree attitude and the body language is free. He changes the perception people have of actors. He makes actors really comfortable. He is a good and honest man without any ego.

Are you happy with the performance of Kanche at the box office?

I am quite content. We understood that Kanche can’t appeal to all sections of society. We know that Loafer has a universal appeal and I am hoping it would reach more people.

Has your family, especially your uncle Chiranjeevi, seen Loafer?

Not yet. I am trying to hold a screening for them today.

You are three films old in the industry now. How does it feel?

It is just a year. So I feel new. I am getting familiar with the camera. Every movie is a new learning. It is an ongoing process. I am lucky at the kind of films I got.

You must be listening to scripts. Have you signed anything now?

In the last month, I must have heard 20-30 scripts. I have liked few scripts. I am waiting for Loafer to release before I sign more films.