Abhiram on Ahimsa: It was my grandfather’s dream to see me as an actor, fulfilled that with Teja

Abhiram Daggubati hails from a family full of heavyweights - his grandfather D Ramanaidu, father Suresh Babu are reputed producers, his own brother Rana Daggubati and uncle Venkatesh are equally prominent stars. However, he had to put all that baggage behind when donned the greasepaint for the first time for director Teja’s upcoming film Ahimsa, which has him paired opposite another newcomer Geethika. In a special interview for Sankranthi, he spoke of his Ahimsa experiences with the media.

On being launched by director Teja:

I wondered if I got the film offer for real. I had worked with him as part of the production team before and I used to jokingly tell him that if I became a hero, then I’ll do my first film with you. I had the worry that he’d be a disciplinarian, but everyone in this industry is under pressure to deliver a product and so they function accordingly. I am so happy that I could be a part of this journey. I took Teja garu as a father figure on how to behave on sets and be a good person.

Was grandpa’s dream to see him on the big screen:

I didn’t inform my brother or dad about my acting interests. I told my grandfather I wanted to be an actor but he couldn’t live to see me on the screen. I fulfiled my dream through Teja garu. When the dream came true, I had good vibes during the making, on and off the camera. We learnt a lot during the shoot. I really thank Ram Charan for releasing the trailer and I need his blessings and the good wishes of one and all for my career.

On his character Raghu in Ahimsa, sharing screen space with another debutant:

Raghu is someone who believes in ahimsa, a follower of Gandhi and Buddha and wouldn’t even kill an ant by mistake. The story is about how such a guy is forced to change his approach due to an incident. This was the first film for me and Geethika; we didn’t communicate much and were driven by the vision of Teja garu.

His idea of Sankranthi:

Every Sankranthi, we alternate between Tanuku (my maternal grandma’s native place) and Karemchedu (the native place of the Daggubatis) and try to do the balancing act every year. We eat well, cousins come together, take a look at rooster fights in the villages and have a jolly good time.