Mahesh Babu, wife Namrata and their two children, Gautam and Sitara recently did an ad together, for a realty firm. This is the first time the family came together on screen. And they are naturally very anxious to know how their fans will react.
“We didn’t want Gautam and Sitara to face the camera so early. So when Mahesh’s friend, director Yamuna Kishore came up with the idea, our first instinct was to say no. But then we heard the concept and the script sounded like fun. Plus, the kids were super-excited,” reveals Namrata, who says the team behind the ad agreed to let them have the final say.
“If we didn’t like what was shot, they agreed not to put it out. So it was like a trial of sorts. This is something no ad-maker would normally do, but because they have known Mahesh for two years now, they were very considerate. They narrated the idea to him and he really liked the script. He wasn’t sure if the kids wanted to be a part of it, but they were more than okay with it. So we said, ‘why not’?” she shares.
Namrata admits that she wanted to use this opportunity for the kids to know how it felt to shoot a film. “Mahesh and I just wanted them to get a feel of the camera space. We made sure they were comfortable, and they had a blast on the sets.”
While it is their choice to become actors or not and there is still plenty of time to decide, they really enjoyed the experience,” she adds, admitting to being an anxious mother on the sets.
“I was nervous about how the kids would take to the camera and how they would look on screen. Without sounding biased, I must say they are natural born actors,” gushes Namrata, who returns to the screen after 14 years for this ad!
However, the actress-turned-homemaker has no regrets. “I haven’t shot anything since my marriage to Mahesh. I gave up films very happily as I was never career-driven. And I would have given up anything to marry Mahesh,” says Namrata, who adds, “Once I was married, my only priority was my husband and his family. And later, my two children.”
So how did it feel to face the camera after 14 years? “It didn’t feel strange at all. Acting is like swimming. One never forgets it. But there’s no way I would consider returning to full-fledged acting,” she says decisively, adding, “I did this ad because I got a chance to work with my husband and children and I didn’t have to worry about the children because they were with us.”
