MUMBAI: A household name in the South, actor Ganesh Venkatram enjoys huge popularity among the audience. Having worked with the Indian film industry veterans like Amitabh Bachchan, Kamal Haasan, Mohanlal and Nagarjun among others in over 20 films across Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam cinemas, Guns of Banaras marks South star Ganesh Venkatram’s Bollywood debut. The film is directed by Shekkhar Suri and features Karan Nath, Vinod Khanna, Nathalia Kaur, Abhimanyu Singh, Zarina Wahab and Shilpa Shirodkar as his co-stars.
Marking his debut in Bollywood, that too with a negative role as a menacing villain is where Ganesh Venkatram is breaking traditional barriers where actors from the North were cast as the bad guys by the South counterparts and their film industry. Ganesh avers, “I am forever indebted to directors down South to have appreciated my talent and effort. I would not have been able to venture into Bollywood unless I would’ve done credible work." For his performance in the Amitabh Bachchan starrer Kandahar, he earned rave reviews for his role as a commando while the legendary actor played his father.
Ganesh Venkatram is extremely happy after receiving fantastic feedback for his portrayal of Vikram Singh from Bollywood actors Sunny Kaushal, Shakti Kapoor & others. "Of all the compliments I have received the one closest to my heart is the one from the ever green Rekha ji," he blushes. He underwent a rigorous transformation to change into a cocaine snorting Banarasi gangster. "I believe in giving my best & hence I go to any length to get into the skin of my character. I am also grateful to have had the opportunity to work in a content-oriented film like Guns of Banaras.” The action sequences featuring Ganesh and Karan have been choreographed by Shyam Kaushal, and have also earned critical acclaim.
Born and brought up in the cosmopolitan metropolis of Mumbai, he avers that he has had certain advantages. As a multilinguistic person, Ganesh Venkatram professes that, often, it tends to be easier for him simply because he knows Hindi, Marathi, Tamil and Telugu among other languages. He also got the right exposure as he started out in his career after winning Gladrags Mr. India. This was followed by a move to the TV industry by playing the lead in Antariksh on Star Plus. After a brief stint in the small screen circuit, he decided to try his luck on the silver screen down South. That worked wonders!
What more to expect from this South Star? Well, Ganesh Venkatram is looking forward to further his presence in Bollywood. He is currently promoting the film across India with the cast and crew of Guns of Banaras. With regional barriers slowly vanishing and multiple platforms like films & OTT co-existing, Ganesh is looking forward to display his versatility and allure across cinemas!
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