First Day First Shot! “A moment to cherish for life” says Shiva Kandukuri of ‘Choosi Choodangaane’ fame

Son of ‘Pelli Choopulu’ producer Raj Kandukuri, Shiva Kandukuri made his debut as the protagonist with ‘Choosi Choodangaane’. Starring Varsha Bollamma and Malavika Satheesan as the leading ladies, the romantic drama directed by debutante Sesha Sindhu released towards the end of January and bagged decent reviews at the box-office. Though it was his maiden outing, Shiva delivered a matured performance as Siddhu and excelled in both his parts, as a B Tech student and a wedding photographer.
In an exclusive interaction with E Times, Shiva Kandukuri revealed his first-day shooting experience from the sets of ‘Choosi Choodangaane’ and spoke in detail about how he managed to keep himself focussed amid the hustle and bustle.
He said “The first day will forever remain special to me. No matter how many days of pre-production we’re involved in or how many workshops we‘re part of, nothing can beat the nervousness of facing the camera on the first day. I think it stemmed from the fact that I finally got to experience my long-awaited dream of becoming an actor and it is a moment I’ll cherish for life. Frankly, I was quite nervous, rehearsing my lines, walking around watching people work in full speed and getting used to the hustle on the set. Finally, the time has arrived for my first shot in this state of mind where I’m trying to absorb things. The moment I heard the word “action”, I magically got into my zone and just transformed into the character of Siddu and delivered my lines.”
Elaborating on his first shot, Shiva added “My first shot was actually a fourth wall long monologue from the film and I managed to get it right in the first take itself. I still remember the applause from my team and honestly, I was surprised myself too. And that was it. I believed in myself and there was no looking back. It was also quite sad because you can’t do your “first shot” ever again haha.”
Talking about the shooting location and his co-actors, the engineer-turned-actor said “Luckily, I had the opportunity to get to know most of my team a month before shoot, so it was super fun. It was just interacting with everyone, getting to know them better and striking conversations with them on the set. My co-actor Varsha Bollamma used to pull my leg as always. As we shot at a coffee shop the first day, we grabbed quick bites of the different stuff on the menu and it was an overdose of food for my co-actors and me. When we wrapped up for the day, I spent the late evening with my family and a group of friends talking about my first day. I was super thankful to have gotten this opportunity to live my dream. Definitely, a moment to cherish for life!”
After an impressive debut, Shiva Kandukuri is essaying the role of a cricketer in his second film tentatively titled as Gamanam. Touted to be a romantic entertainer set against the backdrop of sports, the film is directed by Srujana Rao with maestro Ilaiyaraaja composing the music and Gnanasekar cranking the camera. While Priyanka Jawalkar is playing the leading lady, Shriya Saran is likely to be seen in a pivotal role.