Bunny romances wife, freezes on screen

I feel some awkwardness,” says Allu Arjun talking about doing romantic scenes; this is especially after his marriage to Sneha. Uncharacteristically shy, he says that he is still getting to know his wife of just three months and is reluctant to enact romantic scenes on screen.

More used to daredevil action sequences and intricate dances, Allu Arjun found himself a bit “frozen” while doing romantic scenes with Tamanna for Badrinath. “I never experienced such a feeling earlier in my decade-old career: this put me in quite a unique predicament,” the actor says. “I felt awkward while getting intimate with Tamanna,” confesses the famed on-screen lover-boy. Thanking Tamanna for helping him out, he says, “Usually, I make my co-stars comfortable but this time it was the other way round as Tamanna put me at ease so I could do a good job. Also, I reminded myself that I am an actor by profession, so I need to keep such inhibitions aside.”

The actor is excited about playing a “messiah” in Badrinath. “I play the role of a samurai warrior and learnt how to wield a sword for some tough stunts. It was a breathtaking experience.” Since Badrinath is his home production, Allu Arjun was involved with the film at several levels. “I had to handle two demanding jobs — an actor and producer and I think I have done a decent job,” he avers.

While the idea of remaking Magadheera in Hindi was shelved, Allu Arjun believes Badrinath has the potential to attract a pan-Indian audience. “We couldn’t remake Magadheera because we couldn’t find a committed actor and director for the Hindi version. But Badrinath has a universal theme and could be remade in any language, since it’s a romantic story of a warrior on a mythological scale.”

Romance is growing closer home. The superstar is getting to know Sneha’s likes and dislikes. “It’s too early to reel out her wish list but gradually we are getting to know each other… but we really realised that we are made for each other when we spent time in the Maldives after our wedding.”
Alongside, the actor is also growing in stature. With some big offers on hold, Allu Arjun says he will take a call on these after observing the response to Badrinath. “Everything depends on this magnum opus and it could even change the course of my career,” he says, before signing off.