Interview with Comedian Sunil

On location in Hyderabad
Shooting for Venkat Kuchipudi’s Modati Cinema
9 AM in Jubilee Hills area on 22nd August 2005.

Vasu Reddy - Your Full name please
Sunil - I Sunil Verma

Vasu Reddy – Your native place?
Sunil – Bhimavaram

Vasu Reddy – How did you get started with acting?
Sunil – Even as a child I was very interested in acting. While in school I used to skip school and go and see a lot of movies and also in college I used to skip college and see movies. As soon as I finished college I wanted to become an actor and not work on anything else. I used to act in dramas and when ever I got an opportunity to act in small skits. I was very confident that someday I will get an opportunity to act in films and I kept trying until I got to the movies.

Vasu Reddy – Do you have any formal training in acting?
Sunil – I attended a two-month workshop with media workshop and training. The reason for my attending this training is not that they will be able to teach me something in a short time but to get opportunities to act. I thought this was a good enough time to try for opportunities. If I did not get a chance to act at least I would have tried and then go back home.

Vasu Reddy – What are your first movies?
Sunil – The first movie I acted in was “Chirunavvuto” and the first movie with me in it released was “Nuvve Kavali”. Both movies were made simultaneously.

Vasu Reddy – You act in a lot of movies, is this because of compensation?
Sunil – In the movie industry pay is not like a government standard scale. If the producer is in a good financial position he pays well and on time, and when a producer’s financial position is not good, we make adjustments.

Vasu Reddy – Outside of Telugu language films are you acting in any other language films?
Sunil – I don’t know any other language outside of Telugu. For me without having the command on a language it will be difficult to act in the movies. AT this point of time I am not trying to act in other language films.

Vasu Reddy – What type of style of acting do you emulate?
Sunil – From the beginning my inspiration is Mr. Chiranjeevi. Also Mr. Venkatesh is a great inspiration. When I was young I wanted to follow Mr. Chiranjeevi. When I came into movies, Mr. Venkatesh was the first major hero with whom I had an opportunity to work. He was very helpful in framing the scenes and very patient with me. Then I got opportunity to work with Mr. Chiranjeevi. He was able to even improvise my roles and show me how to act, and I learnt from that. He encouraged me a lot. I leant from my seniors and fellow actors.

Vasu Reddy – Outside of situational comedy are you planning to do any other types of roles in the movies?
Sunil – Yes. I will act in any type of roles given to me. Mr. Nagarjuna gave me a role with a difference and I think I did a good job of it.

Vasu Reddy – Are you performing on stage in India or abroad?
Sunil – No. I am not doing any stage shows at this time. I am very passionate about films and not much into stage shows. Frankly speaking I have not given any thought to stage shows. I started with stage shows and skits before I came into cinema, so I don’t want to go back to stage shows now. The stage performances require a lot of rehearsals and practice and are very difficult. You need a lot of qualities to make people laugh all the time and I am not sure if I have such qualities. I will be able to do stage work but I am now focused on cinema.

Vasu Reddy – How many movies have you acted so far and how many are doing now?
Sunil – I have acted in about 150 movies and I am acting in 9 movies now.

Vasu Reddy – Any message to your fans?
Sunil – Everyone wants to achieve comfortable living in life, and I do also. I hope everyone can do this with respect and hospitality. Even without 100% talent people can be successful by being good human beings. That’s my message to my fans.

Acknowledgements – To Venkat Kuchipudi for allowing me to tape the interview and Sunil for being gracious in taking the time to speak to me and posing for pictures. Best wishes Sunil and Thank you.