Blazing his own trail
Y. SUNITA CHOWDHARY
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In a candid chat, Venkatesh divulges details about his spiritual sojourn.
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My roles in `Ganesh' and `Dharma Chakram' were so intense, they drained me
VICTORY VENKATESH The versatile hero finds monotony is definitely not part of his career.
Venkatesh is not unconventional; he's absolutely normal. He treats everyone with so much dignity and respect that you can't help but marvel at his evolving persona. As an actor, he's incredibly talented and committed to his work. There are zillion clichés to being a star but Venkatesh has avoided them and found an interesting truth about not just being human but at looking at life. At 44, the actor says he has come a long way, above action and reaction. In a rare insight to his personal life, Venky reveals the secret of his new-found glory and happiness.
On the eve of the release of his film Lakshmee, Venkatesh is as calm as ever, showing no signs of nervous anticipation. A consummate professional who turns in stunning performances, the actor says, "Monotony sets in when you are not enjoying it. It's physical strain that worries me, mentally, I never break. My roles in films like Ganesh and Dharma Chakram were so intense that they drained me. I took a long break after these two films."
Of late there has been a metamorphosis and Venkatesh says his quest for the spiritual truth has begun. "Initially I was religious but now I look at it in a spiritual angle. In religion, you are just god-fearing. Here, you have to pass that to reach the `Advaitic' stage; that the truth is finally within ourselves and the truth is you. I feel reborn again after having learnt this. Each of us will find our own path according to the karma. It took sometime for my dad and my brother to understand me."
The actor is very clear about giving his children a strong foundation and wants them to have an understanding of spiritual science, because that's the stage when an impact is profound. "Now they are open, sans any ego. My daughter asked me once when I was at puja, if this is going to help me out. That's when I told my wife, that we need to speak to her about all this. Till they get married, I will do what I feel is reasonably good for them. I have on my part been successful in bringing them up like normal children and they have all been wonderful."
The actor has been a doting parent and has been very supportive. Happiness is evident but there's no exultation when he talks about his eldest one winning a gold. His daughter Ashrita won a gold in 100 m sprint at the Under-19 CBSE School Games in Bhopal and another one at School Games Federation in Karimnagar. He laments that he hasn't spent much time with her and says she could have started off much earlier. "Ashrita is a natural athelete and has tremendous will power. She just wanted one gold medal and she got it. She is very focussed and balances her studies and sports very well. I keep telling her that she can't run all her life and needs to concentrate on her studies. Sports gives you discipline and you can't ignore that. About my other daughters, Havya is exceptionally good at doing up the house, while Bhavna is into tennis and singing. Arjun is just two and a half but dances and eats ice creams all the time."
What was that particular event that changed his attitude towards life? "For a person without a goal, a stage in my career came when a series of films became hits. We went on a victory tour and when thousands of people were cheering and rooting for me, I remained totally unaffected. It hit me that I wasn't being carried away, that calm and silence was confusing. Despite my successful career and personal life, I could sense something amiss. It was spiritual unrest." He adds, "I'm a normal guy but my attitude towards life has changed. Even today I go to the studio to collect my money to run my home. I think everything in life is a bonus so money doesn't look important. I'm aware that my brother and dad are great people, they will send me what ever I want when the need arises. I'm very fortunate that at such a young age I took up this science. I feel I'm indestructible, nothing in this world or nobody can shake me. This strength is enough. I am blessed."
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