Adivi
Sesh,
the
young
multi-faceted
talent
of
the
Telugu
film
industry
is
all
set
to
play
real-life
soldier
and
Ashoka
Chakra
winner
Major
Sandeep
Unnikrishnan
in
an
upcoming
film,
which
has
been
titled
Major.
The
movie,
which
is
bankrolled
by
superstar
Mahesh
Babu's
home
banner
G
Mahesh
Babu
Entertainment
in
association
with
Sony
Pictures
and
A+S
Movies,
is
directed
by
Sashi
Kiran
Tikka.
In
an
exclusive
interview
with
Filmibeat,
leading
man
Adivi
Sesh
opened
up
about
Major,
his
character
Sandeep
Unnikrishnan,
and
much
more.
Read
on...
•
What
makes
Major
an
important
film
of
your
career?
I
suppose
you
are
familiar
with
Major
Sandeep
Unnikrishnan.
He
has
been
a
very
important
figure
in
my
life.
I
don't
know
what
makes
this
film
a
very
special
project
in
my
career,
but
he
is
important
to
me.
When
I
first
saw
his
picture
in
2008
across
the
Indian
channels,
when
I
was
growing
up
in
the
US,
he
looked
quite
familiar
to
my
older
cousins.
He
looked
like
an
older
version
of
me.
And
I
was
so
surprised
that
somebody
so
young
has
passed.
There
began
my
obsession
with
him.
I
spend
years
and
years
cutting
newspaper
clippings
and
saving
web
pages,
audios,
and
books
about
him.
And
I
finally
approached
his
parents,
and
here
we
are
with
their
blessing.
•
What
are
the
other
important
factors
that
made
you
do
this
film?
I
think,
as
artists
we
try
to
convey
our
love
for
something
through
our
art.
And
I
first
started
following
him,
obviously
I
was
an
admirer.
It
wasn't
from
a
film's
space;
I
was
just
some
kid.
I
think
as
I
became
an
artist,
I
started
having
a
good
acting
career,
it
struck
me
that
this
hero
that
I
was
so
fascinated
by
and
obsessed
with,
is
so
important
to
me.
How
the
people
across
India
and
world
would
know
about
him
and
what
he
did
and
who
he
was?
Only
so
much
about
Major
Sandeep
is
known
about
the
way
he
passed
away.
I
don't
think
many
people
know
about
the
life
he
lived,
which
was
in
all
honesty,
ten
times
more
extraordinary
than
the
sacrifice
he
made.
So,
we
wanted
to
make
a
film
(I
wrote
the
story)
inspired
by
his
life,
about
the
way
he
lived,
not
about
the
way
he
died.
•
How
does
it
feel
to
play
the
lead
role
in
Superstar
Mahesh
Babu's
production
venture?
Was
he
a
part
of
the
making
process?
I
am
honoured.
I
wouldn't
say
Mahesh
sir
was
a
part
of
the
making
process,
but
we
always
had
his
blessings.
I
think
a
more
hands-on
producer
on
sets,
on
daily
basis
was
Namrata
Garu,
his
wife
who
is
an
amazing
actress
in
her
own
right.
I
think
what
we
managed
to
get
was
his
blessings.
Every
time
we
needed
a
location,
every
time
we
needed
to
speak
with
someone,
every
time
we
needed
something
for
the
film,
it
became
ten
times
easier.
And
that
is
so
beneficial,
when
you
are
trying
to
tell
a
real
man's
story.
So,
the
blessings
he
gave
to
the
film
made
it
very
big.
•
Did
playing
Major
Sandeep
Unnikrishnan
on
silver
screen
influence
you
as
a
person?
I
think
it
did.
Especially
also
because
of
the
pandemic,
I've
happened
to
live
with
Major
Sandeep
as
a
person,
as
the
character
a
lot
longer.
After
I
met
his
parents
for
the
first
time,
the
first
promise
I
made
to
myself
was
his
parents
are
my
parents
from
now.
That
is
what
I
perceived
in
my
head
and
my
heart.
And
I
wanted
to
be
there
for
them,
irrespective
of
whether
this
film
would
have
been
made
or
not.
Even
after
the
film
releases
and
becomes
a
success,
I
want
to
be
there
for
them.
And
I
want
them
to
be
there
for
me.
So,
I
think
in
many
ways,
his
spirit
has
stayed
with
me.
The
idea
of
trying
to
find
perfection,
the
idea
of
trying
to
do
the
right
thing.
Today,
it
is
very
convenient
to
shut
up
about
something.
But
fighting
for
the
right
thing,
I
think
that
is
something
in
me
that
is
indirectly
influenced
by
Major
Sandeep's
thought
process.
•
How
did
you
prepare
to
play
Major
Sandeep
Unnikrishnan
in
the
film?
I
am
naturally
left-handed,
and
I
walked
in
a
very
different
way
from
him.
Whereas
he
has
got
this
erect
posture,
and
his
legs
slide
out
when
he
stands
up.
And
he
is
right-handed,
he
holds
his
gun
with
his
right
hand.
The
way
he
talks,
the
tenor
of
his
voice,
had
to
work
on
that
a
lot.
To
sort
of
try
and
find
him
within
myself.
•
How
did
it
feel
to
play
a
brave,
patriotic
real-life
soldier
in
front
of
the
camera?
Tell
us
about
the
most
memorable
scene
in
the
film...
I
do.
But
my
honest
answer
would
be
-
Since
we
are
still
shooting
for
this
film
(around
30-40
percent
of
the
film
is
still
left
to
shoot).
I
will
answer
this
question
better
after
we
finish
the
shoot.
Because,
maybe
I
will
have
a
new
favourite
scene.
•
How
was
it
to
work
with
the
cast
and
crew
of
Major?
It
is
not
a
new
team
for
me.
We
all
(the
director
and
the
ADs)
collaborated
for
the
very
successful
film
called
Goodachari.
We
reunited
for
Major,
so
it
is
like
a
homecoming
for
all
of
us.
•
You
have
written,
acted,
and
directed.
Which
one
is
close
to
your
heart?
I
thing
it
is
the
acting.
I
don't
think
I
am
a
great
director
(laughs).
But
to
be
able
to
act
and
write,
is
sort
of
my
true
passion.
•
After
starring
in
successful
films
like
Baahubali:
The
Beginning
and
Kshanam,
reports
say
you
rejected
around
50
scripts
that
offered
the
lead
role.
What's
the
story
behind
it?
After
Kshanam
what
happened
was,
suddenly
we
had
this
small
film
that
exploded.
It
was
being
remade
in
Hindi,
Tamil,
and
Kannada.
I
think
people
kept
coming
to
me
with
similar
scripts.
I
wanted
to
do
something
different.
And
that
happened
when
we
were
on
the
way
to
make
Goodachari,
so
I
said
no
to
a
lot
of
these
films.
•
How
does
working
post
lockdown
feels
like?
It
was
a
bit
scary.
You
keep
hearing
all
the
headlines
and
you
are
shooting
with
a
150
people.
Yes,
we
were
all
masked
up
and
being
as
protected
as
we
can.
But
as
an
actor,
I'm
not
gonna
be
that
protected.
When
I
have
blood
and
makeup
on
my
face,
I
can't
keep
my
mask
on
and
act
in
the
scene.
It
was
funny,
because
when
there
were
times
where
there
are
145
people
on
sets,
and
a
143
are
with
masks
and
visors.
But
me
and
the
co-actors
in
the
scenes,
we
are
only
the
ones
who
are
completely
exposed.
But
God's
grace,
I
haven't
got
sick
so
far.