Hero Santhosh Shoban Interview

Santosh today shared some interesting aspects about the Sankranthi release.

It has been my dream to have a Sankranthi release. With Kalyanam Kamaneeyam , my dream is coming true. Big-hero movies are also coming out this week. This is the biggest Sankranthi in the Covid era. I am planning to watch Veera Simha Reddy , Waltair Veerayya and  Vaarasudu , in the order of their release. And it goes without saying that my film is going to be very special to me. Varsham , which was directed by my father and which had Prabhas anna as the hero, was also released on the same date (January 14). This feels like a great coincidence.

Kalyanam Kamaneeyam happened when Ek Mini Katha was still in the making. My friend and co-producer Ajay introduced me to director Anil Kumar, whose pitch I warmed up to instantly. We see two kinds of films. The first ones are aspirational, while the second type is relatable. Kalyanam Kamaneeyam is a relatable story it is the kind of story that gets made very rarely.

My characters in social comedy movies done so far are away from realism. Shiva in Kalyanam Kamaneeyam , on the other hand, is true to life. He is a genuinely grounded character. There is no trace of fakery in his character. His responses are as per the situations he encounters. I have realized that acting must not be designed towards
winning applause. You have to behave like the character and genuineness will come automatically.

Shruti (Priya Bhavani Shankar) is a working woman. Shiva, my character, is her jobless husband. But that s not what the entire film is about. They are a newly-married couple and how they tide over the problems in their life will be interesting to watch. It s not a regular-format story. It s an experiential film. Life is all about interdependency. When I lost my father, it fell on my mother to bring me and my brother up. It means we depended on her. There might come a situation when a husband must depend financially on his wife. And it might lead to differences between them.

The songs in this movie don t hinder the flow of the story. They take the story forward. Shravan Bharadwaj s music is really so good. Karthik Gattamaneni s cinematography is terrific.

UV Creations treats me like family. I have already done three films with them. And I am willing to do another thirty with them. So early in my career, I have got to team up with big names like Maruthi anna. I have also worked with Merlapaka Gandhi. I have learned from Anil as much as what I learned from them.

Prabhas anna has been a pillar of support. As India s biggest star, he supported my films by promoting them. Today, he released Wedding Anthem from our movie. I am a huge fan of his. My relationship with him is that I am his fan and he is a star. I can t ask for more as a fan.

The final decision to pick stories rests completely with me. So, it is entirely on me whether the film works or not. I have collaborated with director Nandini Reddy and the film is titled Anni Manchi Shakunamule . Vyjayanthi Movies is producing it. I am also doing an action entertainer.