By Reshmi AR

Copyright deccanchronicle

Ashok Galla wears his philosophy on his sleeve. His Twitter bio says “In pursuit of happiness,” and when asked what it means to him, he smiles. “For me, happiness is simply enjoying the journey,” he says.Having chosen films as his path, Ashok admits that he feels most at peace when he is working. “I am happy when I am on set. It’s only when I am sitting at home doing nothing that I get restless and anxious. As long as I am working on films I enjoy, that’s happiness. It’s not really about box office or how far you have gone — it’s about staying on the journey and making it worthwhile.” Growing up around cinemaBorn into a business and political family, Ashok could easily have followed the expected path. But the cinema was always calling. “Growing up, I didn’t think much about patriarchal or matriarchal legacies. For me, both sides of my family mattered equally. My mother’s side exposed me to films — Padmalaya Studio was right next door, and I would often run around the sets as a kid. I even had small parts in my grandfather’s films and in ‘Nani’. That’s where the fascination began.”His school years only deepened his love for performance. “When I went to boarding school in seventh grade, I took theatre classes. I gained confidence because people appreciated my work. By the time I finished high school, I knew I wanted to give films a shot.”Though acting was his first love, Ashok also studied filmmaking in the U.S., following his father’s insistence that he complete a degree abroad. “Dad was clear — I had to go to America for university. I wanted to join Loyola in Chennai, but since I had to study in the U.S., I picked filmmaking. Honestly, the only reason I got through four years of college was because I loved what I was studying,” he laughs.The film industry isn’t easy, regardless of family background. Ashok is candid about the challenges. “It’s tough when your movies don’t do as well as you hoped. But the one thing that keeps me going is that nobody has told me I am a bad actor. If people said I couldn’t perform or I didn’t look good on screen, that would make me stop and think. Thankfully, I have received positive feedback so far. The bigger challenge has been visibility and finding content that appeals to a larger audience.”His upcoming film, ‘Visa’, gives him that confidence. “It’s a rom-com set in America, about post-grad students figuring out their first jobs. It also reflects the lives of so many Telugu kids in the U.S. — their struggles, their fun, their challenges. At its core, there’s a love story, but it’s also very youthful and relatable. I think this is the most ‘normal’ character I’ve played so far, and a lot of people will connect with him.”While Ashok would love to experiment across genres, he’s also realistic. “Ideally, I would love to keep doing different characters and different kinds of stories. But right now, I want to do something people will really enjoy. In an ideal space, I would want to be like Nani. He’s earned the trust of audiences so much that no matter what genre he does, people know it’s going to be good. That’s a space I would love to reach.” Of course, the biggest influence in his life has been his uncle, superstar Mahesh Babu. “From day one, Mahesh uncle has told me — if you are going to stand in this space, you have got to do it on your own two feet. He always encourages me to make my own decisions, especially when selecting films. Watching him, I have realised how important discipline, vision, and risk-taking are. He’s always been ahead of his time — some films he did earlier in his career, if they had been released now, people would have seen them very differently.”Looking beyond the big screenAshok isn’t tied down to the traditional notion of stardom. He’s keen on web series too. “I have actually been looking for good OTT opportunities. Unfortunately, the Telugu space hasn’t taken off in that direction yet the way Bollywood has. But I think it’s a fantastic medium. For an actor, it’s more secure too — you’re busy for months, and you get the chance to really explore a character without the box-office pressure. I would definitely be open, provided the role is strong.”Ask him about his dream role, and his answer is instant. “Something in the space of ‘Salaar’ or ‘OG’. Big, massy, larger-than-life action films. I love watching them on the big screen — the set pieces, the BGM, the adrenaline. I would love to do something like that.”At the same time, he keeps himself inspired by simply being an audience. “Earlier, I used to over-analyse movies and ended up not enjoying them. Now I just go, sit back, and enjoy. Recently, watching ‘F1: The Movie’ really energised me. It gave me that kick of motivation to get back to work.”From learning to ride bikes for his roles to dreaming of pan-India action spectacles, Ashok Galla is very much in pursuit of happiness — one film at a time. And if there’s one thing he’s sure of, it’s this: “As long as I am working, learning, and enjoying the…