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Arjun Reddy Vijay Deverakonda: I want to get married and have kids, but I need some mental maturity

Vijay Deverakonda, in an exclusive interview to India Today Television, spoke about his growing fan base, Kabir Singh, his personal life and his welfare activities.

ijay Deverakonda has been the poster boy of Tollywood ever since Arjun Reddy became a raging hit. The film, directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga, was a mammoth success and catapulted him to a new level. Today, he's a bankable star in the Telugu film industry.

In an exclusive interview to India Today Television, Vijay Deverakonda opened up about his growing fanbase, Kabir Singh, friends in Tollywood and his personal life as well.

Elaborating about his ardent fans, "It feels nice, it's heartwarming. More than anything, it feels nice to know and I am grateful."

Here are some excerpts from the interview:

You have done multiple love stories and you said you are done with it. Why change a winning game?

It's just something I feel within. It's not necessarily a conscious decision. I have phases with clothes where I really feel like wearing colourful clothes. Likewise, I felt that I am done with love stories. I was excited about other things. It's not a smart decision or a calculated one.

Did Kabir Singh satisfy you enough? Was the role justified?

If Shahid Kapoor hadn't justified the character played by me in Arjun Reddy, I am sure Kabir Singh wouldn't have been successful. However, I haven't watched the film yet. I have been working madly for the past few years, and I hardly have time to catch up with films. Even if I get that little time, I would watch new films rather than watching something which I know in and out.Why did you turn down the Hindi remake of Arjun Reddy?

It's true that the director and I were initially approached by the production house for the Hindi remake of the film. However, I turned down the offer as I don't want to do it all over again. That was a decision we took together.

What are your thoughts on the criticism that Arjun Reddy invited?

To be frank, I had already forgotten the film and the nuances of the character. However, I truly understand people who think that Arjun Reddy's character has a problem. But still, I did it and I like the film.

What about your personal life? Are your parents trying to get you married?

My parents aren't bugging me and they let me be. But, recently they have been subtly hinting at marriage. I would love family life. It would be fulfilling to be married and have your own kids. There will be a time I will do that. But, I need more mental maturity to do that. I need to grow up and sober down.

I still feel like a kid. You don't have to be answerable to anyone, you want to do what you want. I think it's a responsibility when you're married to someone. You need to respect the relationship and nurture it. You can't take things for granted. So, I am just buying time.

What are the ideal characteristics that you look in a woman?

I want someone who is kind, funny and someone who you can chill with. If you're ever in lockdown, you shouldn't be frustrated with them. That's the first rule. It should feel like a holiday and she needs to tick that box. I have come across such people in my life.

Are you a homely person or this lockdown made you homely?

These are all side effects of being in lockdown. Making my bed was something we always did. I grew up in a hostel and we had to make our own bed, cupboards. So, that's something that I always do and I don't like people touching my stuff. But, I have never been into a kitchen. Even now, I don't know where the salt is. For every spoon, I need my mum's help. I think the lockdown is making all the men curious about the kitchen. I knew a lot of people learning cooking. You are seeing all sides of me.

You've personally helped people during the lockdown. Can you tell us about your contribution?

I think we have always been a country that comes together during a crisis. The joint family system has helped our community come together. I see a lot of countries that are unhappy with the proceedings during a lockdown. Here, I see people following the rules of a lockdown and figuring out ways to help others, it's because we all want to help everyone.

The first time I received help was when I was a six-year-old boy. I got admission at Sri Satya Sai Primary Education school, which gives free education to people. That was the time when my family couldn't afford to pay for my education. The person I am today is because of this education. Throughout my life, I've received all sorts of love from strangers, friends and family who have made me who I am. Today, I am giving back what I havehim

Why do you have the Rowdy tag attached to you?

It's because of the clothing line called Rowdy. I have a problem calling people who love me as fans and I needed an alternative word. In the word fan, I feel it has some hierarchy. So, I used 'My Rowdy boys and girls.'

For me, the word Rowdy comes from not being a bully. Throughout my life, I've always been 

asked to not do something. Everyone wants to 

limit you that, I believe, we can be who we want to be. That's something that helped me. If I wanted something, I went all out to get it. That's the spirit of Rowdy, I believe. That's what I tell people who follow me.

They cheer for me and all they expect is a smile from me. I try to make them happy by waving and smiling at them. I help them create a memory.

Why do follow zero people on Twitter? What does it take for Vijay to follow people?

I don't use these apps and I usually operate them through Whatsapp. I have a team who takes care of my social media pages. They send all the important stuff to me. First of all, I am not good at technology. You have limited time and you need to pick how you want to spend the time on. Technology and social media were not among the choices for me. It takes a lot of time to use them.

Who are the influences in your life?

There is no one person. My dad has been a huge inspiration. What I carry is two generations of experience. What went wrong in my dad's life, he knew and he taught me that. Experience is very useful. My dad used to tell me that you learn from a mistake or you read a book and you know the mistakes that they did. My real-life influence has been books, cinema, my father, the life that happened and my mom.

Are you a person who have friends in the industry?

I have these friends from my childhood days - the boys who grew up with me in the hostel. Any free time that I have, I spend with them. I don't have friends in the industry. They have been welcoming and warm, but I don't spend much time with them. I don't want to know people from the industry. I just want to watch their films and like them as actors. But, Rana Daggubati has been quite friendly and I have chilled with him... That all.