*RAJINI WANTED ME TO DO THE FILM SAYS VENKATESH

On a bright weekday morning, fans thronged the Ramanaidu Studios to get a glimpse of their favourite star. And leading man Venkatesh was surprised with the turnout. "Being a working day, I expected the crowds to be less," said the star. Sitting down to chat with the actor, one cant help but notice the fact that he is aware of thee big challenge ahead of him -reprising two roles of Superstar Rajinikanth in the sequel of "Chandramukhi" and invariably drawing comparisions with the iconic actor. "I had a chat with Rajinikanth and he strongly felt that I should do the role. Earlier too I reprised his character in the Telugu version of "Annamalai", "said the actor, adding,:why just Rajinikanth? I've also tasted success in roles of other Tamil stars like Vijayakanth, prabhu and Kathick." However, what's different in this movie is that the film has many firsts to its credit - the actor playing three roles, a sequel and the semi-periodic saga. "We ensured the three distinct looks and mannerisms were done well. that apart, I took up the film because I loved the taut narrative of the original version," he explains. 
   Interestingly, the actor who is conscious about budget-specific movies seems to have gone over-budget with this project. " Not really. despite having a massive canvas and casting, the budget was very much under control, thanks to some meticulous planning". quips Venkatesh.
    At a time when the industry has seen a spate of flops. budgeting is indeed a sensitive issue. "Except for a couple of films. most of my producers never suffered huge losses. Hailing from a producer's family, I've always ensured that no one lost money because of me," he says. Though stars of his caliber(in Bollywood as well) are known to prefer big budget movies, Venkatesh abhors it as an "unhealthy practice".       
  "Inexperienced filmmakers and other unforeseen circumstances contributed to budgets going overboard in recent times. they should be firmly reigned in," he opines. While on the topic the actor takes the oppurtunity to dispel notions that the industry is stacked in favour of the big and mighty, denying a level playing field. "I dont share this opinion. Filmmaking ,like any other business, comes with an element of risk. Firstly, upcoming producers should equip themselves with thorough knowledge of filmmaking before starting their project. yes, it does have its share of pitfalls, but we should avoid repeating our mistakes. Nothing happens overnight. Especially not a big change," he says.
  But thats not all. Allegations have been flying thick and fast for sometime that star families have a strong hold on a chain of theatres. he counters the tricky question saying, "In the initial days, mu films were never released in leading theatres. One has to have patience," he reasons. While his contemporaries still strive after BO success, one cant help but ask him how important a factor is it at the stage of his career."Success is momentary. for me, ultimate happiness lies in probing my inner-self and cherishing every moment of life," he says.
   Though a superstar, the actor has little desire for anything materialistic. So much so, he hasn't changed his car in years, which is like a showbiz sin. " Though I can afford a swanky ride, I've never felt the need to own one.But I do my share of expensive shopping in the form of clothes and gadgets. So i guess that counts,: he says with a smile. And what about critics? "More than the filmi critics, I fear my in - house critic- my daughter. To make  matters worse, my neice has joined her now," he says, as a parting shot.