Priyadarshi and Nabha Natesh in director Aswin Raam’s Telugu film ‘Darling’
On average, actor Priyadarshi Pulikonda receives two scripts a day. Writers and directors either approach him on their own or are referred to him by friends. “An actor is defined by his or her choices, and I believe it is possible to make choices that can change the course of one’s career,” he says when we speak in Hyderabad for an interview ahead of the release of his new Telugu film Darling, a relationship comedy-drama directed by Aswin Raam and co-starring Nabha Natesh.
In recent years, Priyadarshi has negotiated the vagaries of Telugu cinema like a chameleon, sometimes as a protagonist in native stories such as Mallesham and Balagam, at times in comedies such as Jathi Ratnalu and Om Bheem Bush, and sometimes as a supporting character, a recent example being Hi Nanna. “I look for stories that excite me and make me want to start working on my character,” he says.
While several actors in the industry prefer to listen to a director’s narration, Priyadarshi relies more on the written word. “A script gives me a better understanding of the writer-director’s intent, and a well-written script has a better chance of being translated on screen into a good film.”
The many moods
Aswin Raam approached Priyadarshi for Darling in 2019. “The script answered my questions and concerns. I was concerned whether the story featuring a newly married woman with a split personality would present a stereotyped notion of women and their many mood swings. Aswin had approached the story with sensitivity, and I was convinced that the film would not be misogynistic or sexist. I look at Darling as a story of two people in love and one of them having a disorder.”
Darling is promoted as a relationship comedy, and a scene in the trailer also refers to the split personality traits explored in Aparichitudu (the Telugu dub of Tamil film Anniyan), to hilarious effect. Priyadarshi describes the humour in Darling as a dark comedy where the suffering of the characters leads to fun moments for the audience.
Priyadarshi in ‘Darling’
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Special Arrangement
Aswin Raam had worked as a creative head for the Sundeep Kishan starrer A1 Express, and Priyadarshi knew that he was adept at people management, apart from the craft of filmmaking. Pre-pandemic, he reminisces that finding a producer who would invest six to seven crore in the film was tough. Despite Mallesham, Priyadarshi had not yet cemented himself as a bankable star. Post-Balagam, things took a turn. Aswin, who had in the meantime directed the Tamil film Anbarivu, approached a few producers. Niranjan Reddy, producer of HanuMan, reposed faith in the story and came forward to produce Darling.
Before going on the floor, Aswin roped in acting facilitator Anandsami to do a workshop for the principal actors. While Priyadarshi’s flair for comedy and rapport with co-stars have been proven time and again, it was a different space for Nabha. The workshop was essential to bring the two actors, from different schools of thought, on a common platform. “It was good to go back to school with a book and pen,” laughs Priyadarshi. Over the next few days, Anandsami helped the actors deconstruct the film and approach their characters from a new perspective. “We sometimes fall back on stock expressions, and this was a good exercise to break free from that possibility. Anand believes in M.S. Dhoni’s approach that when things get tough, it is best to stick to the basics.”
Going the extra mile
Priyadarshi tries to go the extra mile and bring in small nuances even when the story does not revolve around him. Take the example of playing the hero’s friend in Hi Nanna. Director Shouryuv revealed that it was Priyadarshi’s idea to name the character Justin, in resonance with the native names in Coonoor and Ooty. The actor had done his research on the indigenous tribes and suggested that his character is more likely to use the word ‘tamma’ to address his friend (the hero), instead of the usual ‘bro’ or ‘macha’. “A friend of mine is a part of the Keystone Foundation that works closely with the communities in Coonoor and Ooty. With her help, I learnt more about the tribes. Justin is a name inspired by her colleague at the Foundation. I wrote my own backstories for the two characters (played by Nani and Priyadarshi) to get an idea of the origin story of two Telugu-speaking young men in the Coimbatore-Coonoor belt,” adds Priyadarshi.
Priyadarshi explains that some of his choices are driven by the eagerness to find writers and directors who can help him learn something new. For instance, his next film, 35, presented by Rana Daggubati, is set in the vicinity of Tirupati, and Priyadarshi took the help of voice trainer Prashant to learn the Tirupati-Chittoor dialect. “35narrates a rare, important story of our times, and it can age like fine wine.” He quotes Christopher Nolan when he says one should be able to revisit a film and watch it differently each time. “It is a constant effort to find stories that have the potential to stand the test of time. A few years ago, I was mostly cast as the hero’s best friend. I am glad I got to do those films. Now I am glad I can be a protagonist as well.” For every film he accepts, there are several others he has turned down to not to get repetitive.
Priyadarshi’s line-up includes a film by director Indraganti Mohanakrishna, with whom he cannot wait to begin a new schedule. A few other films are in the pipeline, and at the pre-release function of Darling, actor Nani announced that he will be producing a film to be headlined by Priyadarshi and directed by debutant Jagdish.
