Siddhu Jonnalagadda on love, learning, and life beyond labels
Siddhu Jonnalagadda: “I want audiences to know me through my work, not my personal life.”
“Every role I play has a bit of Siddhu in it,” says Siddhu Jonnalagadda
With Telusu Kada currently running in theatres, Siddhu Jonnalagadda steps into new territory as a romantic lead, breaking away from his much-loved Tillu image. The romantic drama shows him as Varun a man caught in the web of emotions, relationships, family ties, and the search for his own identity. Directed by debutant Neeraja Kona and featuring Raashii Khanna and Srinidhi Shetty as the leading ladies, the film marks a refreshing shift for Siddhu. In a candid chat with Priyanka Goud, he opens up about shedding stereotypes, navigating success and failure, and staying deeply rooted in his craft.
On receiving mixed responses for his role in Telusu Kada
I’m glad that Telusu Kada is doing well. It’s my first time playing a full-fledged romantic hero, and there’s been a lot of talk about my role. Like you said, I did come across a few people calling my character a ‘walking red flag.’ But honestly, I don’t really look at that whole ‘red flag’ part. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, and that’s absolutely fine. For us, it was never about labelling the character we just wanted to portray him truthfully, with all his layers and flaws, and we went with that.
On working with a debutant female director
I never looked at it as working with a woman filmmaker or compared it to working with a male director. For me, she was simply my director that’s all that mattered. The thought of gender never even crossed my mind. Neeraja has always been very clear, confident, and straightforward about how she wanted things to be delivered. We share a great rapport, and I believe that chemistry translated beautifully on screen. I was also involved in the creative process as a writer Neeraja genuinely valued my inputs and often took my suggestions, especially when it came to the humour or some of the radical thought processes the character had. We’d sit together, discuss, and figure things out as a team.
On women’s power and memorable moments from the sets
Telusu Kada was very much about women’s power it had three incredible women at its core: Neeraja Kona, and the two leading ladies, Raashi Khanna, and Srinidhi Shetty, who made her Telugu debut. Every day on set was engaging and energetic; we genuinely had a lot of fun working together. One of my most memorable moments from the shoot was watching how people around me reacted to the way I delivered my dialogues or performed specific actions those reactions stayed with me.
On shedding the image of Tillu and connecting with audiences
Compared to the comedy in the Tillu franchise, doing romance was actually quite challenging for me. I was aware of the other sides and dimensions of my work as an actor, and this film felt like an excellent opportunity to explore and showcase them. Of course, Tillu’s image had become so strongly etched in people’s minds, and I knew it would be challenging to step out of that and create another impression that’s just as impactful. But I didn’t let that pressure get to me, because I truly believe it all comes down to the writing. Just like Tillu was a brilliantly written character, I knew that another well-written role could do the same for me. Telusu Kada proved that it made people stop seeing me only as Tillu and realise that there’s much more I can offer as an actor.
On dealing with success and failure
As an artist and a writer, I feel everything that happens in my life finds its way into my creative space. Whether it’s a high or a low, I channel it through my art and cinema. After Jack’s failure, I started to take everything with a pinch of salt each experience helps me understand the world and the business a little better. I genuinely believe that everything in life is a learning, and for me, the best way to process and express those emotions is through my art, my writing, and my craft.
On connecting with audiences through his uniqueness
I believe my dialect and body language have been tremendous assets in helping me connect with the audience. What you see on screen whether it’s Tillu Square, Krishna and His Leela, Jack, or Telusu Kada there’s always a bit of Siddhu in each of them. I feel every time you play a character; you have to meet the role halfway. There’s a lot of culture in me and by that, I mean a strong sense of nativity and rootedness. I think that very essence, that cultural connection, is what resonates with people.
On his journey from side artist to leading hero
From doing side roles in films like Josh and Orange to playing the lead in Life Before Wedding, and now to where I am today, the one thing that has kept me going is perseverance and patience. Coming from a non-filmy background and staying consistent in this industry hasn’t been easy. But I’ve always been very stubborn that way if I want something, I have to go after it until I get it. My parents have been my biggest supporters throughout; they’ve always encouraged me to dream big.
On keeping his personal life private
It’s a very conscious decision for me to keep my personal life private and use social media purely for work. I understand that, as a public figure, people are naturally curious to know more about my life, but that’s just how I am. I’ve always believed that audiences should know me through my work. There are certain things I choose not to share, and that’s a personal choice I deeply value.
Rapid Fire:
One dialogue of yours that people quote to you the most? Atla untadi manathoni from DJ Tillu
A recent film that blew your mind? F1
Guilty pleasure food you can never say no to? Biryani
If you had to choose acting or writing? Acting, it’s my first love.
