My family is filled with musicians, but I always knew acting was my calling: Keeravani’s son Simha

Life has come a full circle for Simha Koduri, the younger son of ace Tollywood music director MM Keeravani. The 23-year-old, who made his debut as a child artiste playing a young NTR in Yamadonga, is now all set to become a hero, with the upcoming film, Mathu Vadalara. “I’ve grown up idolising Tarak anna, Prabhas anna and Nagarjuna garu. So, to have these matinee idols release my first look from my debut film is an honour,” says Simha, beaming.

Ritesh Rana, also a debutant, is directing the movie. Talking about his role in the film, Simha says, “I play a poor vilage boy who moves to the city to make a living. He’s very naive and unaware of the ways of the world. How he finds himself in a fix and what all he does to get out of that situation is what the film is all about. It’s an off-beat crime thriller; there will be no distractions whatsoever. The audience will be on the edge of their seats all through.”
The world of showbiz is not new to Simha, not just because his father is MM Keeravani and uncle is SS Rajamouli, but because he worked as an AD with Sukumar for Rangasthalam before taking the plunge into acting. “Having grown up in a family filled with musicians — my dad (Keeravani), uncle (Kalyani Koduri), aunt (MM Srilekha) and brother (Kaala Bhairava) are all music composers — I did learn music, but acting was what I always wanted to do. No one at home ever pressurised me to pick music as my profession. I’m blessed that way,” he says, adding, “I worked as an AD, because you dabble with all the 24 crafts of filmmaking and it helps you gain a deeper understanding of cinema. My stint as an AD helped me better myself. It took me a while to get into the skin of the character, but once I did, there was no looking back.”