he never advised me what to do like
never ever advise me which film to do he
would just say do it on your own because
even if you do mistakes you can learn
from them
and I think it's one of the best advices
anybody can give because you learn it by
yourself and I would be doing that
exactly to my son you have to do it by
yourself our ambassador this evening
ladies and gentlemen is someone who
broke all Norms of the industry right
from his early days his look on screen
was something people wouldn't normally
associate with South Indian Cinema his
on-screen and off-screen Persona is a
far cry from the usual over-the-top
drama associated with Show Business He
commands one of the biggest fan
followings in the world of Indian Cinema
cutting across Telugu and non-telugu
audiences across the globe he was
recently voted India's most desirable
man in an online poll seven State Awards
four filmfare Awards apart from a house
full of trophies and recognition for his
superlative acting talents the more
adulation he receives the more he
Retreats deeper into his inner
Mysterious World we're very proud and
happy and grateful to have him here
offering his support as Goodwill
Ambassador to the Healer child
Foundation we're very very grateful for
him of having taken time out to be here
and reach out to his admirers and fans
and his following all over the world to
support the Healer child foundation in
this long and wonderful journey of yours
you've had a lot of opportunities to
join or show active support as you're
doing now for various other
organizations with all due respect to
the work they're doing
why heal a child I think it happened of
it
the birth of my son cotton he was a
pre-term baby he was in Rainbow for like
10 days 12 or 12 days and the doctors
took care of him and he was really tiny
and then we got him home and
you know it was
an emotional experience for us because
he was a he was the first baby and then
if you look at my son now he's like he's
the tallest in his Club
so that
thought went into my head was we had the
money and we could do it and what would
have happened if we didn't have the
money
and uh that's why like organizations
like heal a child are amazing
I mean in fact if they can help children
nothing like it because I think children
are beautiful
what I thought thank you so much
how many years ago was that Autumn is
eight now he's eight now and wishing him
a lovely life ahead but as as you see
children
um
again with the Healer child Foundation
supporting them so much you've touched
their lives in a lot of ways do you
think it comes back manifold how how do
you feel that love it was this incident
a couple of months ago it was I think
goes from this foundation called make a
wish and I met this uh a 10 year old boy
who was not feeling very well
and he wanted to meet me you know in my
sets so he came to my shoot and
I was getting my shot and I went and I
was looking at this kid and you know he
was like very sad looking down and so I
walked up to him and he saw me and he
had this big smile on his face if I
could do that to that boy I mean I'm
blessed
thank you so much and thank you for the
blessings that you're passing on
let's open the house to questions
everybody down here thinks you have tons
of money
oh everyone up here also he's got tons
of money
anyway the night event uh what is your
personal take on money and what values
would you like your children to imbibe
with the money when they grow up and
when they're growing up
money is very very important but I
believe that you have to work very hard
to earn it and that's what I would be
telling my children also
you've been in a filmy uh family so to
speak you've grown up watching Cinema
and knowing the fame and fortune what
kind of an effect did it have when you
as a child
um at home or just knowing that
everything was available
uh
like when I was in Chennai we all grew
up in Chennai and my father was this
huge star
and we had this very very normal life in
the sense like I would go to school in
an autotexture and I wouldn't tell my
friends that my father was a big movie
star because it was I don't know in the
sense they would treat you differently
so I would feel that it was a little
embarrassing so
so we all lived a very normal life and
that's helped me right now because it
makes you grounded in life and I have to
give it to my father he brought us up
like that I grew up in Chennai like I
said so not too many people watch Telugu
films except the Telugu people but
when I did films when I was young that's
another story because uh
I think one summer holiday my father
decided that okay come on you do a film
now and that film did well and the next
summer holidays he made me do another
film so every summer holiday of mine I
would do these films and before I
realized I was a big child star and my
dad said okay now you go back study
after four years come back and do films
as a hero so it was as simple as that
and I can never I mean I my dad is the
best in the sense he's laid it out all
before me and for so effortless and
smooth
I just rewound my childhood in summer
holidays and
my grandma wasn't such a great co-star
but
but what about Gotham now uh I mean of
course he just launched the audio of
your recent film he also acted he also
acted in it so uh
the industry obviously is looking
forward to him growing up and then
getting on on screen as a hero I'm sure
you come across a lot of that so how do
you uh deal with it at home or or
explain to him at home it's a lot of
pressure to be honest but he wants I
mean he's interested after doing that
film I think in his head he thinks that
acting will actually he can miss school
so that's what I think
all right next question hi Mahesh out of
all the movies that you've done all the
movies that you've let which is your
most favorite one
and we'd like to know that and why it's
called avocado which is uh I think it's
a film which actually took gave me
started and uh it's a brilliant film
it's one of my favorite films what is
the one role that you would like to uh
probably do or or essay I mean with your
knowledge of world Cinema and everything
that you experience
Telugu Cinema to be honest is totally
different so I take it film myself
and uh once I okay the script it's the
director for me so I don't really plan I
hear the narrative if it is interesting
I'll do the film what kind of roles do
your kids love to see you in I mean what
kind of films do they of yours my son
just started watching my films he
doesn't like action films he doesn't
like action films at all he can't I mean
he the sound he can't handle it
so now he started watching so we'll know
now okay next question let's pull out
another name from the bowl
I Mahesh
you look very relaxed you're chatting
away thank you so much you've done this
event for the foundation
but you're actually a very quiet person
why are you so reserved
I'm not really reserved I mean do I look
reserved no he's married it's not the
same thing
thank you but you do have a very
reclusive persona it's been you all
through or looking at the entire glamor
or the intrusions that the industry has
does that get you even more closed I try
to stay away from the publicity the
intermediate and all that because I like
to keep it simple and I've been like
that all my life so all of a sudden I
can't change and say hey
let me be in this way so I like it this
way so what do you do when you're not at
work
watch a lot of films in my house okay
you travel
yeah lots of I mean personal holiday
with the family yeah with the family
what's your favorite destination
ah Dubai hi Mahesh
um
this is a slightly imaginary scenario
imagine it's a Saturday night you're in
LA
and you can take any actress from the
last 30 years out for dinner it's a
platonic dinner that's it you can have
dinner and spend three hours with her
that's it who would you take out who
would you call
what's the fun in that
foreign
I promise you that
I find it boring actually for three
hours to sit
who would you take out Demi Moore
good choice
thanks
so much Demi has there been a moment I
mean when you when you walk up to your
friends and go
I don't know what I'm doing I don't want
this stardom I'm sure it's overwhelming
to handle the responsibility of the star
that you are the pressure is there and
that's why your house is very important
you know your home and I have to give it
to my wife I mean she balances it out
beautifully
so it takes the pressure out really
all right without pressure
next question
hi Mahesh hi
uh I'm sure you would have been asked
this question earlier
a lot of actors have joined politics
right
so in case you've been made an offer in
future to join politics would you
you've got diplomacy I'll give you that
thank you
the country has enough problems
would you no
we have another question please
hi Mahesh thank you for coming out to
support this organization we've
obviously heard a lot about Mahesh at
work and the papers cover it we've seen
it in the cinemas you've told us you
like to watch movies but tell us the one
thing that Mahesh likes to do for
leisure that we haven't heard yet I
think I answered that question before
it's movies again but
uh yeah whenever we go for holidays I
mean it might sound stupid but food
that's one thing which we like to
indulge in food food food because we
don't I mean it's I'm always on a diet
here so wherever we go we eat
quickly moving on to the next question
take two
next question my question is about your
father and son relationship one
Superstar so another Superstar how is
your relationship with your father does
he involve
or influence your carried anyway can you
elaborate
like I told you the story before how
when I was young you used to make me act
in films
and that was the biggest gift he could
ever give me and another thing once I
started acting in films
he never advised me what to do like
never ever advise me which film to do he
would just say do it on your own because
even if you do mistakes you can learn
from them
and I think it's one of the best advices
anybody can give because you learn it by
yourself and I would be doing that
exactly to my son you have to do it by
yourself all right we have a question
from Diana now she'd like to ask Mahesh
a question hi Mahesh how are you doing
you know your father was a superstar and
I remember on Sunday we would make sure
we were home when his film was on in the
evening I'm sure many of you enter it
too your father was a superstar you got
into films what if your daughter wants
to get into films would you encourage
her down that route I I would I
yeah but I think I'm gonna make her a
scientist
hahaha
but no if she yeah if she wants to it's
her choice are you fit by choice or
compulsion choice
one like you've told and gotten away
with my wife is sitting here dude why
would I tell you that
How many pairs of shoes do you own
not not many actually I think this and
my running shoes
he doesn't have lots of money
top three things you indulge in when
traveling
food food
are you a tech freak
yeah top three gadgets you've indulged
in iPhone iPad desktop if we could reset
life
if you could reset your life what would
you want back fame or money
I think it's a process you know it's
life is a process so I don't want to
reset anything you know it's like you
get the fame and then you get the money
so why would you reset that all right
number
have you on stage please
one lowest to ten highest rate yourself
and rate him for me yeah you rate him
and he'll rate himself all right so I'll
ask you first as an actor on a scale of
one to ten how could you rate yourself
give myself a six or a seven I'd say 10.
on a scale of one to ten one lowest ten
highest as a husband
I would say a 607
I'd say 10.
I'm not lying
see the temper tantrums are working
after all
as a father
10 20.
as a friend
20.
nine
as a human being
100.
I can see why she's your biggest
cheerleader
I think we lose count on that one but
thank you so much the two of you was for
giving us your love and support to heal
the child thank you so much ladies and
gentlemen
tried to put him in a spot but as always
Mahesh remains spotless it was a
wonderful time around you on stage like
you thank you
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