Minister on sets with PM’s nod

Raju, who made his debut in Chilaka Gorinka in 1996, had acted in about 300 films before entering active politics. He starred in two more films after becoming an MP and the present one is his first as minister.

The actor-turned-politician said he signed Rama Naidu’s film as the role suited him well. Also, the producers had waited for a year for his nod.

Given his ministerial duties, Raju says he could not report to the sets until a few days ago. In the still untitled film, he plays a kind-hearted but stern foster father of an upcoming hero, Uday Kiran. Describing it a homecoming of sorts, the minister says he had missed the silver screen for the past three years. ‘‘Facing the Opposition in Parliament is a part of my duties, but facing the camera is what makes me happy. After all, I am an artiste,’’ he says.

While actors of his time have retired or shifted to the small screen, Raju is still going strong. He says the secret lies in his memorable roles like that of a legendary Shiva devotee in Bhakta Kannappa.

‘‘I have portrayed all kinds of characters, both social and mythological,’’ says the ‘‘angry young man’’ of South Indian cinema who still has a young fan following. Raju, who has produced films like Krishnaveni and Amaradeepam under his Gopi Krishna Movies banner, plans to cast himself alongside nephew Prabhas in the coming project.