'Mayasabha': Aadhi Pinisetty On 20 Years In Films, and Why He’s In No Hurry At All

Aadhi Pinisetty has no qualms about the time he spends on screen. He is happy leading a film — like with the acclaimed Tamil horror Eeram (2009), Maragadha Naanayam (2017) or the latest Tamil film Sabdham — and equally happy about his rich character-driven roles — Ninnu Kori (2017) or the impactful Rangasthalam (2018). Almost 20 years into acting, Aadhi is just happy to be doing what he likes doing rather than what he should be doing. 

“I have been doing what I'm doing now, since the beginning,” the actor tells The Hollywood Reporter India in an interview. “I haven't changed my track or my point of view about how I see myself. I look at myself as a good actor who is enjoying the process of being in front of the character, understanding the character and giving it my best shot. I take my time to choose scripts, and I'm in no hurry. I don't think I need to be here or there in the next 2 years.”

Perhaps six years in the past, he was thinking about what kind of place he fit into as an actor. But today, the actor is sure about what he wants out of this experience. “As long as you remember me along with other actors after watching my film or series, I'm happy. The character is what matters, and not the screen time. If you don't remember me, I'll be pissed off though,” he adds with a laugh. "I first hear a narration as an audience and then see if I can pull it off. If both those boxes are ticked, I go for the role. It might change after four years, but right now the learning is important."

Mayasabha, a visceral political drama exploring the caste and ego dynamics that surround two young Telugu politicians in the 70s, fit right into what Aadhi was looking for: the scope to play a deeply fleshed-out character. Directed by Telugu filmmaker Deva Katta, the series will be available for streaming on SonyLIV from August 7. “When Deva sir narrated the script to me, we thought of hearing the first four episodes, taking a break and then listening to the next four the next day. But I was not able to stop myself from hearing the full season. We did eight hours of online narration in one shot. That's how interesting the entire show was.”

The actor plays Kakarla Krishnama Naidu, a politician who butts heads with MS Rami Reddy (played by Chaitanya Rao) in the show. Aadhi shares that his existing friendship with Rao made their rivalry on screen all the more exciting. “There is a lot of give and take. It was very comfortable for me to have Chaitu (Rao) play that role. Our comfort levels are completely different, but that was transmitted so beautifully on the screen.”

Pinisetty, who is back in the streaming space after his role in Prime Video anthology Modern Love: Hyderabad (2022), thinks it's the best time for someone to be an actor today. "There are so many kinds of films that are being consumed. Actors are getting jobs, and it's the best possible time." He isn't too worried about the competition that comes from the accessibility of streaming. Instead, his advice to up-and-coming actors is this: "Just keep doing something and put your talent out there because you don't know who will spot you when."