RAJA FINDS HIS NICHE IN TOLLYWOOD, BUT WILL HE BE ABLE TO MAKE IT BIG?

The chocolate-faced boy of Tollywood, Raja, has come a long way from itsy-bitsy teeny weeny roles. Though he is still to establish himself as an actor to reckon with in the Telugu film industry, luck and pluck has enabled him to create an identity of his own.

Raja burst on to the scene with Appudu Appudu, one of the biggest hits of 2001. But, all was not hunky dory. "After a dream debut, it felt as though lady luck had deserted me. To make matters worse, I was considered as unlucky after the failure of all the films I had acted in. It was a traumatic phase," says Raja, talking to Hyderabad Times.

But, Sekhar Kamula's Anand bought back joy in the life of Raja, who had been doing odd roles till then. "Anand changed everything. Fans still address me as Anand," he says. And predictably, there was no looking back. He was able to carve a niche in Tollywood with films like Aa Naluguru,and Kokila.

Right now, he has graduated from family dramas to action films. "My latest film, Toss, is an action flick in which I play one of the leads. Until now, I have acted only in family-oriented movies, but I want to shed that image to appeal to a larger audience. I have worked hard to put in the extra muscle required to look the part," says the actor.

What does he think of the GenNext actors? "The new generation of actors be it junior NTR, Allu Arjun or whoever it is are in the transition phase. They are more aware of what is happening in the world cinema than any other generation, and that will be reflected in their work."

There have been rumours of his alleged escapades with his Toss co-star Priyamani. What does he have to say about it? He shrugs off the rumours but says wedding bells might ring any moment. "All I can say is I have found the love of my life, and she is not from the film industry."

WILL SOMEONE TELL GIRI BABU THAT SNEHA LOOKS AWFUL OPPOSITE RAJA?

Veteran actor Giri Babu, who has donned many a caps during his heydays, wants to direct now. And he is busy making efforts to rope in the right actors -- by right if you mean pairing the heavyweight -- literally -- opposite Raja.

It is reported that Priyamani, Raja's alleged heartthrob, was actually supposed to be cast in the film, but for reasons unknown to us, lack of dates or whatever, they've settled for Sneha. Wonder what the fate of the film would be.

However, this is not Giri Babu's first film. He had earlier directed Garjana, some 20 years back, to introduce his son into Tollywood. And the film bombed without a trace.