Adivi Sesh, Destined To Act

Adivi Sesh has just returned from a shoot in Europe. He and the crew were filming in minus five degrees, the much-awaited sequel to Goodachari, his 2018 film that he says ushered in a “new wave of Telugu cinema”. The spy thriller did well at the box office in addition to earning positive reviews from critics and fans alike.

The sequel, he tells us, is halfway done and stars names from across industries, including Emraan Hashmi as the antagonist. “It’s the biggest film I have ever done,” says Sesh. There must be the pressure of expectations? “Absolutely,” he says, adding, “I’m not only feeling pressure but dealing with frostbite after shooting in the cold weather.”

The 40-year-old is particularly invested in the franchise. “The first film I saw a kid was a James Bond movie. I also remember watching yesteryear superstar Krishna’s Gudachari 116 (1966) from the ’50s. It’s considered the Telugu James Bond film, and it influenced in a big way how I perceived cinema,” he tells us.

Scripting his journey

You might know Sesh as someone who mostly writes what he stars in—he’s credited with story and screenplay for films such as Karma (2010), Kiss (2013), Kshanam (2016) and Major (2022), besides the first Goodachari. But he confesses that screenwriting is something he is compelled to do “out of necessity”.

“[For instance,] If I have received offers that aren’t feeling good, I start writing. I want to find something that touches my heart,” he explains.

So, then, acting is his preferred poison. And he discovered it when he was growing up in the US. It’s a familiar story, but still always new. “My father bought me a video camera when I was 13. I realised that I needed someone to direct me from behind the camera. It was how screenwriting and direction became instruments to aid the actor in me,” he recalls.

There’s another revelation. “I’m terrible at auditions. I feel nervous standing in a room with two people in front of the camera. You are worried they are judging you,” Sesh chuckles, adding, “The choice was to either be good at auditions or write my own gig. I did the latter.”

Living his father’s dream

The stories don’t stop there, nor do the motivations that led to Sesh making it as an actor. “My father wanted to be one. However, he became a doctor, like his parents wanted. After graduating, he tried to get into films for a few years but, unfortunately, that didn’t work out—also because he had an accident and was indisposed for a year or so,” he recounts, adding that the family then interpreted it as a bad omen: “So, he gave up. But he remains the inspiration.”

And then his family moved to the US. Sesh was 10. “My father is a paediatrician, and he wanted to relocate there. I’d never seen such weather and such big buildings before, so it was exciting being in California. I did all my schooling and graduation there,” he recalls the impetus to him seeking a career in the business of glamour and showmanship.

Moving back to India

Sesh realised that his dream of becoming an actor would only see fruition back home in India. “Despite growing up in the US, I didn’t see any hope for a brown Tom Cruise. Every once in a while, I would audition for a role, and it would always be terrorist number three or call security operator number 4. We can be the funny guy in The Big Bang Theory, but we can’t be the Tom Cruises and the Will Smiths,” he says.

The only way, then, was the way home. “Even in that decision, there was a choice, I only spoke Telugu at home but used to converse in Hindi with my friends outside. I even acted in Hindi plays. I realised that it cost the same to make a movie in either language, but more to market the film in Hindi. It was a practical choice to opt for Telugu films,” Sesh laughs.

Reel life inspired by reality

Sesh acting debut Karma was based on his own life. “In 2010, I was involved in a car accident in the US, where I got stuck between two 16-wheeler trucks on a freeway. The car spun out of control. I blacked out,” he recalls, adding, “Credit to the paramedics, who were there in two minutes and got me to the hospital.  The next morning, I went to my toying yard and noticed that the car was standing up like a transformer. It was completely vertical. The lady there asked me if the person who was in the car had survived, and I told her it was me. She was shocked. The idea for Karma began with this concept that if there was someone who could survive anything, what would it look like.”

His personal life appears to have also inspired Kshanam. “I was driving around in Hyderabad, and I see these little schoolgirls with backpacks asking for a lift. I got scared, got them in my car, took them to school and screamed at the principal for being so irresponsible. Eventually, I was driven to wonder: What if a four-year-old girl goes missing? That led to the script of Kshanam.”

Rooted to reality

Despite the fame and success, the actor chooses to stay grounded and find inspiration in everyday experiences. “A complaint against the industry is that we make movies by watching other movies, so I visit art exhibitions, expand my horizons with the books I read. I’m re-reading Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey, wanted to feel a burst of optimism again. Recently when I was in Delhi shooting for a magazine, I decided to visit Humayun’s Tomb and spent the day there. When we were shooting in Budapest, I explored the Basilica Palace. You never know how something fuels your performance,” he notes.