Ankith Koyya, Rajkumar Kasireddy, Narne Nithiin and Ankith in ‘Aay’ | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Ankith Koyya has been around for more than five years, quietly trying to infuse life into the characters he portrays. However, the recent Telugu films Aay and Maruthi Nagar Subramanyam made the audience sit up and notice him. The actor, who is also a content executive at Niharika Konidela’s production house, Pink Elephant Pictures, observes, “Earlier, some people spotting me on a train wondered if they have seen me somewhere. Of late, people come up and talk to me or request a selfie. In the film industry, some are aware of my earlier work while others are going back to see the variety of characters I’ve done, beyond comedies.”
At the Pink Elephant office in Hyderabad, Ankith is enjoying the calm before the storm of beginning to shoot for a new film in October. Both Aay and Maruthi Nagar Subramanyam turned out to be endearing films that found patronage among the Telugu audiences. Ankith reckons that he knew intuitively that these films were on the right track. “It was heartening to see the audiences crack up in laughter while watching these films. When my parents enjoyed Aayit filled me with happiness that is tough to express in words.”
Directed by K Anji Babu, Aay (now streaming on Netflix) was a comedy drama set in the Godavari belt and Ankith shared considerable screen space with Narne Nithiin and Rajkumar Kasireddy. On vibing with his co-stars and cracking the comic timing, Ankith recalls, “The script reading session helped us a lot. Rajkumar anna and I improvised a few scenes and would laugh even while rehearsing. For instance, we knew that the bridge scene would be appreciated by the audience.”
While filming Maruthi Nagar Subramanyamin which he had several scenes with veteran actor Rao Ramesh, Ankith says he was determined to perform well. “If at all something could go wrong, it could be because of me. So I wanted to give my best. Once the camera was on, thankfully I performed naturally and was not intimidated.”
Hailing from Visakhapatnam, the love for cinema brought Ankith to Hyderabad and he began auditioning, landing supporting parts in prominent films — Majili, Shyam Singha Roy, Thimmarusu and Aswathama, and the web series Nine Hours —to name a few. Soon, he learnt that getting selected through auditions involved factors beyond his control.
Ankith had a support system in his brother who was working in Hyderabad and his parents, government teachers in Visakhapatnam. However, keen to be financially secure, he began working in the writing department of films. “My entry into the world of cinema was through writer-director Teja Marni’s cousin. We spent considerable time writing a feature film that unfortunately did not take off.” However, Ankith went on to act in Marni’s Joharwhich had a direct digital release.
He then worked with a few other teams, including Aswathamaand gave his input for screenwriting. “I was not credited for all of my writing work. Frankly, I was fine if the teams paid me. Some did, while others did not, and I would look for fresh opportunities. Naga Shaurya was kind enough to talk about my contribution in writing the scenes of Aswathama.” Ankith was also featured as a brief character in the film.
Ankith Koyya, Nithiin Narne and Rajkumar Kasireddy in ‘Aay’ | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The ease with writing harks back to Ankith’s days at GITAM University, Visakhapatnam when he was part of college plays. “Thanks to precis writing in school and college plays, I developed a flair for writing and storytelling,” he reflects, “I am also a good listener.”
As a content executive, he listens to story narrations, reads scripts and filters them for Niharika. He listens to several narrations a month but has so far, never felt overwhelmed. “People tell me that when we listen to too many narrations or read several scripts, it can cloud our judgement. I take a few deep breaths, sit in a relaxed mode and listen to a narration as though I am watching a film. If my attention wavers, I note down the instances and let the director know. I offer suggestions if I think anything can be tweaked. It is up to them to consider those suggestions. It is a learning process for me.”
Ankith also took up a brief course titled Source of Performance Energy at Adishakti Theatre Arts, Pondicherry, which helped him get a better understanding of storytelling and performance.
Post Aay and Maruthi Nagar SubramanyamAnkith has been receiving offers and is keen to venture beyond comedies. A film that will feature him as solo lead is on the cards. He is keen to take it one step at a time and says, “My parents are aware of the vagaries of cinema and give me a reality check. My father has taught me to live within my means. A friend once told me that very few people persist in their efforts and most leave midway. I want to be that guy who works and waits for the right opportunities.”
Published – September 18, 2024 04:33 pm IST
