Harsha Chemudu first came to the limelight with a comedy short film titled Viva in 2013 and has been ever since fondly known as Viva Harsha. His performance in the short film led to his big screen debut in the same year and the actor has played various memorable roles over the years. Although the journey hasn’t been smooth, Harsha tells us that whatever film he is part of, he wants to do his job correctly and be true to his craft. Ahead of the release of Sundaram Master, a comedy thriller led by Harsha, the actor speaks about getting his first validation from Brahmanandam, facing body shaming issues and the importance of character artists.
Viva was one of the early viral videos from Telugu on YouTube and Harsha reminisces how surprising its reach was. He says, “We didn’t even know that videos like that are called viral videos. We came to Hyderabad to get into films and people were trying to take photos with us which was strange. It did not feel like actual stardom but felt more like validation for our work.” Although it was still hard for Harsha to figure out how to approach studios, he recalls that he got his first proper validation in the industry from Brahmanandam and that his advice will always remain special. “When I found out I was getting a call from him, I excitedly told my entire apartment. He told me that I did my role with utmost ease. And getting this kind of validation from the epitome of comedy in Telugu was huge for us. His biggest advice that I still remember is that “when you are facing the camera, maybe your 100th film or 200th film, your intent should be as passionate as your very first shot”.”
Harsha opens up about dealing with body shaming in his childhood and how it made him feel very inferior as a kid. “People would hurl words and throw insults at my face. When guests came to the house, I would lock myself in the room and come up with excuses about being in tuition. Because once I came out they used to say things like, “Why are you not walking? why are you not dieting?” I would blame myself for having to see my parents go through this,” he says, adding that even today, the society hasn’t changed much in this regard. The actor reveals that even the initial roles he managed to land were all based on his body image. “I knew I had to go through this phase to sustain myself in the industry and reach a certain point; to become the kind of actor I was dreaming to be. That phase was tough and lonely. However, to cope with this, I made up my mind that if someone was looking and laughing at me, it was because of my existence. If I wasn’t there, that person wouldn’t have had a chance to smile otherwise. After this change in mindset, it was no longer laughing at me but laughing with me.”
Even though the actor has been in the industry for over a decade and has done several interesting roles, the actor asserts that he still has a lot to explore because his dreams keep evolving. He says, “I still feel like I haven’t made anything. If you believe that you have already made it, you wouldn’t be able to dream beyond that. If I thought just coming into films was my ultimate goal, I would be stuck there only. My goals kept evolving, I thought I should make more films, then different films and then different kinds of characters. Now, I feel whatever the film be I should do my job correctly and I should be true to my craft.”
Harsha also won a lot of hearts with his recent performance in Month of Madhu (2023) in which he played Bhushan, a narrow-minded small-town guy. “As an actor, it was very exciting and at the same time, I was worried whether I was crossing the line somewhere because I have seen people like Bhushan in my personal life. However, I was very happy when a friend’s mother said that I reminded her of her uncle in a small town. This was the best compliment and one that put me at ease…I could not believe the compliments I was getting from Ravikanth Perepu (the editor of the film) especially because I worked only for three days on the film. I give 100% credit to Srikanth Nagothi, the director of the film. It was the first time in my 10-year career that I was laughing at myself on the screen. I could look at Bhushan as a completely different person.” Speaking about the appreciation he received for Month of Madhu, the actor also elatedly notes that there is more importance for character artists in cinema today. “Five years ago, they were looked at as replaceable. But now the audience is much smarter. Even if it is a small role, they are giving that actor the utmost respect and importance. They are demanding for specific artists to play specific kinds of roles.”
Harsha plays the lead role in Sundaram Master and he quickly quips that he doesn’t have any sense of accomplishment for being the hero of the film. “I always believe that I am an actor by choice, and a hero by chance. I strictly told my team that I didn’t need any kind of special treatment on the set. I looked at it as every other character but just a lengthy one among those. I also think that this film is not just a funny film but one that will make you think as well,” Harsha signs off.
Sundaram Master is slated to hit the screens on February 23.