Aug 19, 2026 12:10pm IST
Naga Chaitanya: ‘If I Fail at This Purpose, Nothing Else Matters’
Telugu actor Naga Chaitanya’s family background subconsciously paved the way for his advent into the world of films. With a film, “Vrushakarma” and the second season of the OTT series “Dhootha” to release later this year, Chaitanya holds forth on his childhood, public perceptions of celebrity lifestyles, and why his wife Sobhita is his best critic. In this cover story with Variety India, Chaitanya lets his guard down and talks about the joys of movies and how he handles failure and the pressures of staying successful.
Did you always want to become an actor?
Growing up, acting was never on my mind. I was like any other kid. I wanted to be an engineer some days. I used to love automobiles. I used to love racing. And later, when I got clarity in life, I started growing curious about films and acting. And I first told my parents. I was around 17 then. Mom was firm about the fact that I should finish my studies before venturing into acting. Dad asked me whether I was attracted by the glamour or genuinely interested in acting. When I mentioned acting, he asked me to go to acting school. So, first, I studied at a small school in Mumbai called Creating Characters, after which I studied at the New York Film Academy.
The one advice your father gave you when you became an actor?
He always asks me to learn from my own mistakes. I used to go a lot to him for advice, but after a point he said, ‘Do what you feel works best for you.’ He wanted me to make my own decisions and not be influenced by his opinions. Both my grandfather and father had their own identities and styles. That’s how their fans followed, or the audience loved them for what they did. If I go down a path, mimicking what my family did, I don’t think I’ll create a niche for myself. So, I need to obviously understand and respect what I have.
How do you handle pressure in your profession?
I can’t run away from it. I’ve matured a lot in my career now through the years. I realize how fortunate I am. Initially, you do not understand how privileged you are. But as you start interacting with newcomers who have struggled to get to this position, you realize how blessed you are. It’s so easy for me to meet a director or producer. Today, I’m a lot more conscious. And I feel a lot more pressure. But it’s in a good way because I’ve understood how to use it to my advantage.
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How do you cope when films fail?
I can move on, but I am hard on myself. I feel success and failure should be taken equally. Don’t take both too seriously.
What can you share about your upcoming series, ‘Dhootha 2’?
Yeah, it’s going to be trailing off season one. It’s sticking to the same horror thriller genre. We took journalism as a backdrop for season one. We’re going to be going into a different world for season two where it focuses on the medicine space.
What is the status on “Vrushakarma?”
I have about 10 days of shoot left. It’s almost done. It’s a very large-scale, spectacle, theatrical film with a lot of VFX. Something I’ve been really looking forward to because I’ve not had that in my career. I’m very happy and confident about the way it has shaped up.
There is renewed interest in Telugu cinema on a pan-India level. What do you feel about it?
It is important to stick to your roots. The stories of our land, the stories of our culture. That is what works on a national level, but when you try to package too many elements, it does not work. People watch our cinema because they like niche stories. So, for me pan-India is about being true to your own culture and then go out there and market it. I think people are curious and they respect originality. I try to keep that in mind.
What are your plans for Annapurna Studios?
There are exciting times ahead. I’m pretty involved a lot with the post-production vertical of it. There’s a lot of change happening in the world with A.I.. With the way films are shot, more digital-focused virtual production and motion capture in studio flows. So, this has been driving me. And apart from this, we are looking to get into production a lot more aggressively. We are focusing on Telugu cinema for now.
What is the vital ingredient for a happy marriage today?
It’s friendship and understanding. And being open to adapting to each other. So, I think as long as you have that open-mindedness and you’re willing to hold hands and walk this life through, it works. Sobhita is my true critic. And she comes from a very different thought process. She’s very intelligent. So, she brings that perspective to me, which I never had all these days.
As a family of artists, what kind of conversations do you engage in?
We talk quite a bit about cinema. What each one is doing, challenges, how we can do better things, sharing script ideas, all that. But apart from that, I think at home, we love the ocean. So, we are always planning family holidays to places like the Maldives for scuba diving. Travel is clearly a hot topic for us. We are all health freaks, so fitness is a hot topic.
Photographed By: Vikram Bawa | Styled By: Sanam Ratansi | Cover Designed By: Rahul Nanda | Hospitality Partner: The Leela Hyderabad
On him: Selected Slim Bruno trousers, paired with a T~24 Cashwool polo knit, the Canali Super 150’s cotton denim-style jacket, and Kamemannen 9501 SG sunglasses from Drishti Platinum.
Makeup: Mansi Talwar
Hairstylist: Shaikh Shanoor
Talent Management: Anusha Puppala
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