Actor Adivi Sesh had already done several films by the time his 2016 mystery thriller film 'Kshanam' came to him. After doing a string of negative characters in films such as 'Panjaa' and 'Baahubali', the actor was a familiar face in Tollywood. However, his career graph skyrocketed when 'Kshanam' opened to a blockbuster response at the box office, establishing him as the 'hero' that he is today.
As the film completes six years of its release, the actor recalls how the Ravikanth Perepu directorial was a game changer for him.
Adivi played the role of Rishi, a man leading a life of solitude in San Fransisco, when a call from his ex-girlfriend Shweta (played by Adah Sharma) leaves him rattled. What followed was a story full of mystery, suspense and action.
"It was my breakthrough film as a lead actor and it changed my life. It increased the responsibility on my shoulder. I have always functioned from a place of trust in my films. It definitely made me think that I can bet on myself and made me more responsible," recalls Adivi over a phone call from Hyderabad.
The actor, who eventually gave more blockbuster films such as 'Evaru' and 'Goodachari' further says, "It was the reason that people started taking me seriously as a lead actor and not as a villain in big films."
The success of his big break taught the actor many things which have helped him in the longer run.
"It taught me to trust my heart. It taught me to keep my ears open because when people give you advice. It's not about whether you like it or not but its about whether it can be useful for the film. People who work with me know that I have a friendly ear and that I always listen to what they have to say. It's not that I am in my zone all the time. I always listen to what they have to say, be it my driver, office boy, another director because you can find a diamond anywhere," shares Adivi.
'Kshanam' also had stellar performances by Satya Dev, Anusuya Bharadwaj and Vennela Kishore.
Even after six years of the film's release, Adivi very specifically remembers a moment during the shoot, where he felt how beautifully the film was shaping up.
He recalls, "We had the rain sequence in the climax and until then it felt like we were just fixing and fixing everything. I used to constantly feel like we were not good enough until this one scene in the rain where the police arrives. As I sat there wounded with bullets and in that moment in felt like 'cinema has happened'. It felt cinematic, like we were making some level of art."
He adds, "And to go from such humble beginnings to today where I must have got around 50 messages from people speaking about how inspired they were by the legacy of the film, how it taught them to think differently, it humbles you to think that you have done something right."
Adivi is now gearing up for the release of his biographical drama 'Major', which is slated to release worldwide on May 27. The movie, directed by Sashi Kiran Tikka, is based on life of 26/11 martyr Sandeep Unnikrishnan.
