OTT gave me my break, but it was the big screen that made people remember me: Sangeeth Shobhan

Time of India

5 days ago

From his early days as a child artiste in Golconda High School to earning acclaim with projects like Pitta Kathalu and Oka Chinna Family Story, Sangeeth Shobhan has steadily built a career grounded in relatability and charm. The son of Varsham director, late Sobhan and younger brother of actor Santosh Shobhan, Sangeeth further cemented his appeal among younger audiences with the coming-of-age comedy drama Mad and its recent sequel Mad Square. In a candid chat, the actor talks about why direction isn't for him, the importance of connecting with his directors, and how the shift from OTT to theatres changed the way audiences see him.Over the past few years, Sangeeth has put together a diverse body of work — from playing the sincere Sunny in Oka Chinna Family Story to appearing in the Telugu adaptation of The Baker and the Beauty and the web film Prema Vimanam. But it was Mad, with its irreverent humour and college-campus energy, that marked his breakout. Sangeeth, who is now stepping into lead roles, says he's not chasing stardom. 'Right now, I'm focused on building credibility and choosing content that feels honest and relatable. I want the audience to see a bit of themselves in my characters. I want them to remember me as the 'guy next door' and once that connection is built, I'll be ready to explore more varied roles.'While acting has clearly become his path, there was a time when he considered going behind the camera. During college, Sangeeth got the chance to work as an assistant director on Mahesh Babu's Maharshi, an experience that gave him a new perspective on the filmmaking process. 'That experience made me realise just how tough direction really is and that filmmaking is not for me. I love acting, and it has made me appreciate how much directors and their teams do behind the scenes. They work tirelessly, are often underappreciated, and are paid very little. Acting might feel easier when you see the kind of effort and patience the direction team puts in, and that's something I truly admire.'An actor's job is to quickly adapt to a character and just as easily detach from it. You don't need to lock yourself away or live like the character for weeks. That's not acting, that's becoming someone else. That's why I've never believed in method acting.That respect for directors also shapes how he engages with stories. For Sangeeth, it's not just the script that matters; it's how it's told, and who's telling it. 'Some stories hit differently when you hear them. When Kalyan Shankar narrated Mad, I was laughing from the first scene. The way he delivered it, full of energy and clarity, helped me connect with the tone instantly. That's when I know I want to do a film: when the storyteller pulls me in. A strong connection with the director makes all the difference,' he explains.Right now, I'm focused on choosing content that feels honest and relatable. I want the audience to see a bit of themselves in my characters and once that connection is built, I'll be ready to explore varied roles.While OTT gave Sangeeth his start, it was the theatrical releases that changed how audiences perceived him. 'As a performer, I don't find much difference between OTT and theatre, but the audience reception is significantly different. No matter how much OTT content we consume, audiences still go to theatres to see someone on the big screen, and that makes those characters larger than life. After Mad 2 released, I noticed people recognising us, saying, 'Oh my God, that's the guy from Mad!' They started seeing us as larger-than-life figures because they had experienced us on the big screen. That was a big realisation for me.'