Right now is the perfect time to be Naga Chaitanya. The industry is celebrating the 
heralding of a new heir & so are the audiences. After having wooed & wowed people with
his wonderful performance in Ye Maaya Chesave, Chay, as he is fondly called, is having
the time of his life. His polite demeanor, ready repartee, earthy humor & an easy-does-it
attitude add to his enchantment. Talk to him and you realize the strength with which this
young heartthrob, in spite of carrying dual filmy legacies, refuses to bow to the
pressure. Nishka Agarwal brings you more.
How’s life treating you at the moment?
It’s been great. I’m enjoying the things that life is giving my way. And most
importantly, I am doing lot of interesting work. I couldn’t be happier.
People still can’t stop talking about Ye Maaya Chesave. You seem to have made quite an
impression on young hearts…
Thanks, it’s a beautifully genuine movie. But to be honest, I wasn’t really expecting the
movie to reach out to so many people. Not just the youth, people across all age groups
have loved it. It’s a bonus that I & Samantha have connected to people so well as Kartik
& Jessie. All thanks to Gautham Sir.
Kartik of YMC is a guy who is willing to do anything for a girl. What would you do for a
girl in real life?
Yes, if I hopefully meet the girl of my dreams, I would definitely do anything it takes
to get her [grins]
The kissing scene was quite talked about… take us through it.
Oh, we had no qualms doing it whatsoever. Gautham Sir is known for shooting such scenes
aesthetically. I felt the story needed it. I know it sounds clichéd but the situation did
demand it. It never felt like we were doing anything sleazy. We were really comfortable
about the whole thing as it was shot well.
At the heart of it, YMC is a very simple love story. Did you have any apprehensions
before committing to it?
The moment I heard the story, I felt really good about it. It moved me. It just felt like
falling in love [laughs]. That’s what made me go for it. Like I said, it is a real movie
about two real people in love. It shows their fights, their squabbles & conversations.
It’s very simple at heart!
How was it working with Gautham Menon?
It was like a dream come true. I never expected that I would be doing my second movie
with him. Actors would give an arm & a leg to be a part of his movie. I couldn’t believe
it when I was offered the role. I have learnt so much from him. I’ve improved so much as
an actor post- YMC.
Anything in particular that you wish to share with us…
I love his way of working. He gives the actor so much freedom as he believes in
spontaneity. He doesn’t let people rehearse much as he loves to capture those fresh
innocent emotions & reactions that come out instantly. Moreover, he’s not the sort of
director who does too many retakes. He believes in his actors & lets them do their thing.
We couldn’t ask for more.
Josh was a good subject. It had the idea & the script but it didn’t do as well as
expected. What do you think went wrong?
Josh was a very conscious move on my part. I know it’s not the ideal launch that one
looks for. I didn’t want to be launched in a standard commercial formula film. I wanted
to do something different. Now that I look back, there were too many expectations. I
personally felt that if you give the audience the right content, they would accept it.
Unfortunately it didn’t work out with the movie.
A hit or a flop obviously affects an actor’s mindset. Take us through post-Josh &
post-YMC.
Post-Josh, I was disappointed but I stood my ground, I was determined to bounce back. YMC
got me so much adulation. It gave me more confidence. So I guess an actor needs both
hits & flops to make him confident & to make him work harder as well.
What are the most positive & negative feedbacks that you have received about yourself?
In Josh, I played a serious character – a guy who didn’t express himself too much. So I
had to underplay my emotions. But people didn’t grasp it right and they thought I
couldn’t act. I am trying to change that perception. I am definitely trying to improve my
dancing which I know I am not too good at. Coming to the good parts, I’ve gotten many
compliments for my climax scene in YMC & also for couple of scenes in Josh which I’m
really happy for because I’ve worked real hard at them. Those scenes really meant a lot
to me as they were very challenging and I’m happy my efforts paid off.
