At ABP Network's The Southern Rising Summit 2024, Actor Sai Durgha Tej reflected on his journey in Telugu cinema and the challenges he faced in the film industry.
Despite coming from a film background, Actor Sai Durgha Tej emphasized, "I took the hard route into the industry. I auditioned for my roles and it took five years for my first film to reach the screens."
When asked about career choices, he said, "I had six flops after my first big success, but I learned to understand the roles I want and most importantly, to say 'no' when needed."
In the session titled "A Decade in Telugu Cinema," Sai opened up about personal challenges, describing 2007 as a pivotal year. "It was a rebirth for me—my second life. I lost my voice, couldn't speak, and was in a coma for two weeks," he said.
Reflecting on his on-screen image, he added, "The macho persona is just for the screen, deep down, I'm a sensitive person."
The actor has no plans to enter politics. When asked about competition in the industry, the Telugu superstar shared his supportive philosophy: "Flowers from the same plant don't compete—they just bloom."
Regarding the evolving standards in Telugu cinema, Sai stressed the importance of quality writing, noting, "We must improve the quality of our writing. The world now has access to global cinema and we need to offer unique content to sustain audience attention."
Looking ahead, he shared his enthusiasm for an upcoming project: "It's one of the most expensive films of my career, inspired in part by the film 300. We're 30% through the shoot."
The Southern Rising Summit 2024, hosted by ABP Network, India's premier multi-language news platform, was conceptualized as a tribute to the exceptional growth, cultural opulence, and societal harmony exemplified by the southern states of India. In its second edition, this transformative summit convened on the theme "Coming of Age: Identity, Inspiration, Impact", with the leading voices from politics, culture, and industry converging to celebrate South India's remarkable journey and its influential role in driving economic growth and cultural innovation across the nation.
