'Lucky Lakshman’ is a complete entertainer for the family audience: Hero Sohel

Bigg Boss Telugu fame Sohel is getting ready for the release of ‘Lucky Lakshman’, which will hit the screens on December 30. The out-and-out family entertainer stars Mokksha as the female lead. The film is produced by Haritha Gogineni and directed by AR Abhi. Ahead of the movie's release, Sohel talks about its highlights and also shares info about his career.

How has your experience been as a cinema hero?

I am enjoying this phase. However, I am not getting adequate rest. Things change when you are not a common man. It's not easy to handle celebrity status. 'Lucky Lakshman' has been going great guns in terms of promotions, content, songs, and the response for the teaser and trailer. Personally, I am still trying to figure out how to be with the media and all during interviews. I always like to be original. I can't put on an acting front in interviews. That's a minus for me. I can act only in front of the camera, not otherwise.

Do you think negativity has gone up in the days of social media?

If you are frank, some people receive it with a negative mindset. Out of 100, 20 people are like that. The other day, at the pre-release event, I said that I will bash up people who target my parents. We actors are humans with emotions. Not just me, no actor deserves abusive trolling. I am going to give it back if my parents are targeted. When the comments are negative after you make a movie by spending crores, you are naturally hurt. Toxic trolling disturbs us.

I don't understand why there is so much negativity on social media. A video in which I attributed my success to my father received just 500 views. But a video where I am seen warning trolls garnered 1.2 lakh views and attracted 700 comments/shares. Even videos related to 'Waltair Veerayya' didn't receive those many views. Why do people want to watch negativity?

How about your much-awaited 'Mr. Pregnant'?

That was the first movie I did after coming out of Bigg Boss. For some reason, its release got delayed. I worked on it for a year. The delay feels bad. When it gets released, the result will be great. The producer wants to close business before releasing it. I have given my sweat and blood for the movie. Its delay is a bit depressing.

What made you opt for 'Lucky Lakshman'?

After 'Mr. Pregnant', I did 'Bootcut Balaraju', which is a mass entertainer. 'Organic Mama-Hybrid Alludu' is a complete entertainer. It is a family film with cute love. 'Lucky Lakshman' came around the same time. Hard work and luck have to happen together. We need valuable relations that wish well for us.

How do you describe 'Lucky Lakhsman'?

It's a family film with a clean and healthy comedy. You won't find vulgarity in it. I play a software engineer in it. There is no embarrassing scene or line in it.

I am really lucky:

I spent 104 days in the Bigg Boss house. But what Chiranjeevi garu and Nagarjuna garu said about me on the 105th day mattered the most to me. It became a big plus. The finale offered me opportunities after I came out of the house.

It's all thanks to my father's support...

It's all because of my father's support that I have come this long. A heart surgery, one kidney, blood clot in brain... On the other hand, we are five in the family. He helped us sail through. My father alone supported my cinema dreams. At one stage, I got ready to do my father's job. But two days before I was supposed to sign the job papers, I migrated to Hyderabad to pursue acting dreams. TV serials would pay me up to Rs 50,000 per month. I used to send half the amount home. My father asked me if I had self-belief. He asked me to stay the course if I was confident.

'Lucky Lakshman' is technically strong

It's like a full meals. Everyone who worked on the movie did their best. The cinematographer I Andrew played a phenomenal role in the shoot getting completed in 28 days. It was a two-schedule movie. The frames are colourful. Anup Rubens' music and Prawin Pudi's editing are also top highlights.

A senior producer said that about me...

I am waiting for the audience's response this Friday. We screened the movie for a senior producer. He said that I am safe. It boosted us a big deal.

I am waiting with excitement...

Producer Haritha Gogineni garu is releasing the movie on her own. She is confident about the movie.

On welfare activities:

If we give away 10% of our income to others, the blessings will do good to us. I went out of my way to help pool finances to fund the surgery of a friend's infant child. Due to my intervention, the cost of surgery came down from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 6.5 lakh. I collected Rs 3 lakh from my sources. Through Sohel Helping Hands, I and 30 other friends are doing charity activities. We have financed heart operations for five kids. We have been supplying essential groceries to seven families. We are funding the education of ten children. From the Bigg Boss prize money of Rs 50 lakh, I spent Rs 10 lakh on orphanages.

TV serials experience is helping me...

The response for 'Lucky Lakshman' has been great. Acting in TV serials is adding to my experience. Most of the artists doing TV serials today entered the industry with the sole aim of becoming film actors. Due to some reasons, they couldn't land film offers.

I am doing four films currently...

I have got four films in hand. If I did not have acting calibre, I wouldn't have received these many offers. Someone like SV Krishna Reddy garu wouldn't have worked with me. They invested crores in my movies. 'Organic Mama Hybrid Alludu' came to me only because the director insisted that I be roped in as the hero. He convinced the producer. I will always be indebted to Krishna Reddy garu for that.