Naa Peru Surya actress Anu Emmanuel on failure of Agnyaathavaasi and working with Allu Arjun

In 2017, when Anu Emmanuel bagged two big projects —  Agnyaathavaasi and Naa Peru Surya - in which she was paired opposite Pawan Kalyan and Allu Arjun, it seemed like there was no stopping her. The actress, who made her debut with Majnu in 2016, was already a heartthrob among the youth, and with all these big projects lined up, Anu had proved that she is here for the long run.

However, the debacle of Agnyaathavaasi, directed by Trivikram Srinivas, earlier this year came as a big shock to the whole industry and audiences alike. And Anu too was not immune to the heat that the film faced at the box office. Recalling her immediate reaction after the film released, Anu says, “Of course, I had high expectations on Agnyaathavasi but obviously, it didn’t do well. Yes, it did affect me at that time, but it’s not something that I dwelled on for a long period of time. I feel that hits and flops are vital for success in the long run.”

Four months after Agnyaathavaasi released, the actress is back in news, thanks to her latest action drama Naa Peru Surya in which she is paired opposite Allu Arjun. Directed by Vakkantham Vamsi, the film explores the life of an army officer who have severe anger management issues. “I was thrilled when I got the offer to be part of this project last year. I play Varsha, a fine arts student, who meets Surya while he is on a vacation. Varsha is a normal and no-nonsense girl, and I could relate a lot to her. All my scenes are with Allu Arjun and I can’t wait to see how people react when they watch the film,” she says.

Going by the trailer and promos so far, it is quite evident that the two shared an intense chemistry and Anu is all praise for Allu Arjun. “Allu Arjun’s dedication inspired me a lot. He lives and breathes cinema. He always wants to improve and be the best that he can. His costumes, his hairstyle, and even the cut on his eyebrow, are all his ideas to make his character come to life,” she says, adding, “It has been a beautiful experience to share screen space with Allu Arjun. He’s extremely passionate about what he does and he’s the kind of an actor who goes out of his way to ensure that his co-stars too are quite comfortable. During the shoot, he shared several inputs which enhanced my performance.”

At the film’s pre-release event, Allu pointed out that he was quite impressed with Anu’s work ethic, and said, “On the last day of shoot, we wanted Anu on the sets for couple of shots; however, she had slept for two days and I wasn’t sure if she could make it. But she surprised us when she arrived on the sets and said this is the least she can do for the film. I will never forget that incident.” The actress acknowledges that the whole team has been quite supportive right from the first day, even though she was nervous. “Generally, I’m very nervous on the first day of the shoot, but for Naa Peru Surya, somehow I was nervous throughout the film. I was on my toes till the end,” she laughs.

The film has been in news for its intense backdrop where Surya, the role played by Allu Arjun, has recurring explosive outbursts of anger. In fact, there is even a dialogue in the film where he says, ‘Kopam vacchinappudu manthralu raavu, boothule vasthaayi’ (When I get angry, I am not going to utter any holy rhymes. I cuss a lot in this state). However, the vibe on the sets was anything but serious. “The intensity of the scene didn’t spill on to the vibe on the sets once the shot was done. It was all quite bright and cheery. We had a lot of fun while shooting the film,” she adds.

Ask her about working with writer-turned-director Vakkantham Vamsi and pat comes the reply that she was blown away by his brilliance. “He’s one of the most sensible directors I’ve ever worked with and it’s one of the reasons why I believe in this film so much. There was one scene in particular which is pretty intense. The way it was staged, shot, and directed made me feel like I was part of a Hollywood film. I can’t divulge details about the scene but I’m sure people will notice it when they watch the film. Thanks to such scenes in the film, I believe that I’ve definitely explored a new scene in my acting persona.”

No film of Allu Arjun is complete without his relentless energy which stands out in the songs. And Anu got a taste of it while shooting for the song ‘Iraga Iraga’, which was choreographed by Prem Rakshit. “When I signed the film, I was extremely nervous about dancing with Allu Arjun (laughs). ‘Iraga Iraga’ was the last thing we shot for and by then I was pretty comfortable working with him. Thanks to Prem Rakshit, my dance moves in the song weren’t very difficult but of course, there’s no way I could match Allu Arjun’s energy or his presence. But I had a lot of fun shooting for it,” Anu recalls.

Despite her popularity, Anu confesses that she has drawn a line between her personal and professional life. There is hardly anything about her life that makes news and she has been off the radar from the media glare, except when her films are about to release. “I prefer to be a mystery. It’s not necessary to put everything out there on social media. Already our lives are pretty public. I like to keep my personal life private,” Anu signs off.

Allu Arjun, Anu Emmanuel-starrer Naa Peru Surya - Naa Illu India, directed by Vakkantham Vamsi, is slated to release on 4 May.

(Also read — Allu Arjun’s Naa Peru Surya should be as big a blockbuster as Rangasthalam: Ram Charan)