Interview with Roja

This interview was done in 1999 in the shooting of film "Samchalanam" directed by Tammareddy Bhardwaja:

Telugucinema.com proudly presents....... an exclusive INTERVIEW with ROJA.

It was a climax-shooting going on for Ravindra arts Sanchalanam move Starring Roja and Prakash Raj. I went and met Sri.Tammareddy Bharadwaja to take permission to interview Roja and Prakash Raj. He introduced me to Roja and Prakash raj. Prakash raj is playing the police officer in the film and Roja is playing the collector. She was in a very simple in a cotton sari and Prakash raj is in police dress. There was a strike going on but inspite of that bharadwaja is working with 500 extras for the climax with Ranganath and other artists.

Sri:tell me something about your family
Roja:Family.. (pause) normal one. A father, mother and two elder brothers.

Sri: tell me something different, everybody says I came from a happy Family etc., tell us about your childhood, some sweet memories..
Roja: I was a pampered kid in the house being the last one. My father was a sound engineer in Sarathi studious and my mother is a nursing college principal. They wanted me to become a doctor, but I became an actress that's all(laughs). But my brother completed his medicine

Sri: Really! That's great. Is he working anywhere now?
Roja: no he is looking after my dates

Sri: is it Kumara swamy?
Roja: Yes, he also produced two films.

Sri: you worked in lot of tamil and telugu films.
Roja : yeah I am still doing lot of tamil movies.

Sri: did you work in any other languages?
Roja: I did one malayalam movie and working now in two kannada movies and doing seven films in tamil

Sri: tell me the details about those movies?
Roja: kannada one with Vishnuvardhan titled as Premotsava under Dinesh babu's direction. The other one is, Bharatanari, a heroine oriented movie directed by Janardhan

Sri: is it our telugu bharatanari remake?
Roja no that movie was already dubbed

Sri: what about the Malayalam?
Roja : I did one film long back. But I am not feeling comfortable in that language so I left malayalam
Sri:why are you doing more tamil films than telugu?
Roja:because I have equal craze in tamil. Recently I had one superduper hit. Tamil version of Raja (she said it in tamil, but my tamil is poor and I was unable to catch it.). After that I am getting lot of characters and I am taking them.

Sri: is it the deglamarised role.
Roja:not deglamarised,the role soundarya played in Raja in telugu

Sri: Oh! I heard that you are considered to play the telugu version also.
Roja: it is all a game. (laughs)

Sri: I don't want to start a contraversy but I read it in a magazine that you were considered for that role as the tamil version is a big hit.
Roja:tamil version was a bigger hit than telugu. In telugu they made it commercial that is why it was not that of a big hit like in tamil

Sri: I know how much it collected as we get the weekly collection report in the net , so I know what a big hit it is. But the film people say you might have done a better job as you almost signed for the telugu version too.

Roja: Venkatesh prefers soundarya everytime. That's all (laughs)

Sri: heard that you did a deglamourised role in tamil.
Roja: It was before this film, long ago in Kadaval. I acted in that film without any makeup. Seeing that film director vikraman gave me the chance in the tamil version of Raja.

Sri: your first tamil film Chambarathi was a hit film (Chamanthi in Telugu)
Roja: it is a super duper hit film. Because of that craze I am still popular now.

Sri: one more controversy I heard is, in selvamani's movie only you get the preference over others and Ramba is giving statements on this. Saying that she doesn't want to work with you as she gets less preference.

Roja: everybody forgets their past. She acted as a second heroine in some of my films. She acted only in one song in bhairavadweepam. They want some publicity so they give that kind of statements.We all acted in so many films together. It is her personal opinion which is not true. she should not have started that topic. Actually in that selvamni's movie I come only in one song as a guest appearance. Somebody informed that my role is big, she blindly fell for it. It is her mistake. If I want to be in the heroine role, selvamani would gladly offer me that role rather than to ramba. That is the reason I stopped doing selvamani's movies. Because of selvamani I did that role, otherwise I might not have done it. She mistook about the whole episode. If she had seen the movie she might have realized it. I come only in flash back. If I want I might have replaced her. But it is not my character.

Sri: I read this in some papers.
Roja: I gave this statement. She came in my way. She did some small characters before this movie. Now as she got some market that doesn't mean that she should forget her past. If I want I might have replaced her. But it is not my mentality, I will do what I like, I am very straightforward. I don't go for fights. But if they comment unnecessarily I won't keep quite.

Sri: don't you feel you will get problems because of this attitude as you may lose the chances.
Roja:no problem. I am not bothered. But with this attitude I can live peacefully

Sri: you also gave a statement about Raja starcast recently that Venkatesh prefers Soundarya. Etc., with those statements are you not loosing your future films with him?
Roja: I don't have problem. They asked me why I am not doing that film. I heard that Venkatesh recommended Soundarya so I said that.

Sri:but no other heroine says all this. I think, because you are not behaving in a polished way you are losing the films.
Roja:I am not bothered with that type or kind of films. I got the films where I can show my talent, I don't like to do any chamchagiri for the roles. Audience know my talent, because of that I am still in the field. They may suppress me for three or four years, but in the fourth year somebody will make a film with me and if it is a hit then again I will raise as a star.that satisfaction I don't get from others. What ever I am today, I am on my own, not because of any recommendations or god fathers. I have not worked with any big directors like Bapu or Vishwanath, not many raghavendra's movies or dasari's movies, but purely because of my talent I am still in the field. And I am proud of it. Even in tamil I don't know personally mr.vikraman, or bharathi raja but they gave me chances. To tell you frankly selvamani benefited more from me than I benefited from him, (of course it don't really matter). These films came because of my talent and I am proud of that. If any one says any bad remark on me, I won't do the film with them again. I want the film life but I cannot sacrifice my character or personal life for it.

Sri:I recently attended one function where you are on the stage. The organizers keep on calling you as Smt.Roja. how do you feel about it?
Roja: that is a mistake done by the organizers. I am not bothered. As I am in love with the same person selvamani for more than eight years they are thinking I am married. Everybody knows about it.

Sri: your Favorite actress
Roja: Sridevi, kajol and juhi chawla.

Sri: what about the old time actresses?
Roja: Savitri and vanishree.

Sri:I think you worked with vanishree?
Roja:I worked with her in five films. From Sitaratnam gari abbayi to Pellam chatu mogudu. She is the one who gave me confidence as I am the newcomer at that time, I used to be nervous and used to feel why I came to the industry, but she used to tell me that I will become a big star.

Sri:your Sarpayagam is good. You are shot beautifully and acted well and decent. But the next film sitaratnam gariabbai, you did all valgour dialogues etc.,
Roja:but with sitaratnam gari abbayi I got craze and I became hit. It depends on the taste of individual. It was a hit even in villages. I just did whatever the director said.

Sri:With whom you are looking forward to work ?
Roja:Aamir khan. He is a wonderful actor.

Sri: what is your all-time favorite film?
Roja:Mother india. I watched it number of times but I still cry in the Second half. Nargis was simply great

Sri:it came in telugu with jamuna, shoban and krishnam raju.
Roja:I am not aware of that.

Sri:I watched it in some charity show. It was good.
Roja:I know it is acting, but still I feel it is real and I cry for Nargis.

Sri:Why did you act in a elderly role in Peddanayya.

Roja:it is a good character. Very innocent and it is on today's TV(she Is referring to ETV program Annimutyalu).

Sri:why you did Sultan.

Roja:that is the only role in female charecters in the film which has some scope to perform and that is the reason I opted for that. If I don't do it Somebody will do it. I will lose the picture.

Sri:Where do you want to get settled

Roja:Madras

Sri:what about the number one position?

Roja:I am not bothered. I am not in the rat race. This position will be there for an year or two. After that you have to be on your own talent and I believe in talent. Some of the top artists are not in the race like Sridevi or vijayashanthi.

Sri:what are your future films.

Roja:Samakkka Sarraka and editor mohan's film with new director which Is based on tamil super hit movie.

Sri:I think Sammaka Sarakka is under production for last two years.

Roja:it is almost complete

Sri:you don't have any formal training in films. So how you feel about it.

Roja:Intially I am not interested but after seeing the craze and fan following I opted for it.

Sri:what roles do you like

Roja:performance oriented.

Sri:do you have any dream role?

Roja:anything which are liked by audience.

Sri:what is your favorite place.

Roja:Araku, Ooty, Switzerland, Amsterdam

Sri:any plans to America

Roja:next year.

Sri:I think I should not ask you this question, how old are you?

Roja:(laughs) I have enough age which is required for the movies.

Sri:how much is it?

Roja:sixteen plus,plus,plus etc.,

Sri:is it for the last ten years.

Roja:yes

Sri:who inspired you to become artist.

Roja:Sridevi garu, she is all in one, glamour, performing artist etc

Sri:any plans going to north.

Roja:not interested, but I will do one before I settle down. I got offer in police brothers hindi. but I will do it soon if I get a good banner..

Sri: with Mithun?

Roja: definetly not with him.

Sri: any message to our readers?

Roja: I love them and I like them to love me in the same way. Not to change The parties for the new girls (laughs)

Sri: some personal questions. Being a successful heroine why did you become a producer and ran into debts?

Roja: every producer faces the same problem.

Sri: Then why did you become a producer?

Roja: it is not me. It is my brother who was interested in that. So he produced.

Sri: but you ran into debts

Roja: yes

Sri: technically Samaram is a good movie. But ..

Roja: because of time lap. My leg was fractured at that time.so the product became stale and I cannot act with the leg fracture, so they finally completed and released. And it bombed.

Sri: but I heard that Suman's role was chopped drastically and I think Raghu was also there in the movie

Roja: Suman is not the main lead in the movie.it is a heroine-oriented movie and we

informed it before starting it.

Sri: I was there in the theatre on the first day and there is a big hue and cry on this by his fans.

Roja: then they can make films with him now

Sri: but it was advertised as two hero's movie

Roja: why should I make films with them as hero's I might have requested Balakrishna or Chiranjeevi for it. As I wanted to make a heroine oriented one and as it was directed by Selvamani they want to work with him so they did it. Now the film flopped they talk like that. Everybody does it. Even I do the same thing. I paid them fully and they know the script fully and aware of their characters. (Laughs)

Sri: tell me about this current film

Roja: I am doing a collector role in this film. It is down to earth character. Working with Prakash Raj is challenging so I accepted it.

Sri: how did you felt about the award for Swarnakka?

Roja: I am very happy. I worked very hard. It is a re-entry to me in Telugu films after some gap. We struggled day and night in Bhadrachalam Forests for the film. It is not easy to work in that atmosphere. Only I know how I struggled. It is not like regular heroine type role who comes and dances and goes to her ac room. Working so hard also I don't have support from the hero's or from the producers, I am still struggling

Sri: I think that is because you are engaged (or in love ) with Selvamani for long time and they felt you may leave the industry anytime?

Roja: what is wrong in it? I don't need to beg for the roles. I will do Only when they come. I am not ready to do anything for the roles. I am happy I am engaged to the person like Selvamani. To me everything is important, film life as well as personal life. But for the sake of film life I need to sacrifice my values, I am not ready for it. I work hard. But I am not begging for the roles.

Sri: are you are aware of Internet

Roja: I am busy , don't have time for it.

By this time there are already three calls from outside and Prakash raj And Bharadhwaja are waiting for the lunch, so we had lunch togather and I left somewhat dazed way because of her frankness