Aadhi Pinisetty on Krishnama Naidu, politics, and finding purpose in discomfort

Aadhi Pinisetty opens up about portraying Krishnama Naidu in Mayasabha, the discipline behind the role, and why discomfort, not comfort, fuels his artistic growth.

Hyderabad: From the ever-charming Arun in ‘Ninnu Kori’ to the intense Kumar Babu in ‘Rangasthalam’ and the stylish antagonist in ‘Sarainodu’, Aadhi Pinisetty has carved a niche across genres with performances that never feel repetitive. Now, in a complete shift from the familiar, Aadhi steps into the gritty world of politics as Krishnama Naidu in Sony LIV’s latest series, Mayasabha. In this exclusive interview with Telangana Today, the actor opens up about the challenges of playing a character with layers, the discipline behind subtle performance shifts, and how working with a passionate cast shaped his own journey.

 

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Aadhi Pinisetty took on Mayasabha because it offered him a role he had never explored before. “I always wanted to do a strong political drama, but I hadn’t been approached for one until this,” he said. “When I heard the script, I felt it couldn’t get better.”

He explained that his process of choosing roles depends on three key factors. “First, I ask myself if I can pull it off. If I’m not confident, I would rather let someone else take it on, someone who can do justice to it, which would be better for the project. Second, I look at it from an audience perspective: is the content engaging? Third, I ask whether the role is different from what I’ve done before. If it’s something I’ve already explored, I may not be interested unless, of course, they pay me a lot of money,” he said with a hint of humour.

 

In Mayasabha, Aadhi plays Krishnama Naidu, whose journey spans decades. He pointed out that the transformation unfolds gradually across nine episodes. “If you watch it in sequence, you’ll understand the graph. But during the shoot, we didn’t film in order. On one day, I might be portraying a 50–55-year-old version of Krishnama, and the next day, a much younger version. The way I speak, move, and carry myself had to change accordingly. That was one of the most challenging aspects.”

A key trait of the character is his occasional stammer, which Aadhi approached with careful consideration. “I took inspiration from someone I knew during my school days. I asked for his permission and observed him closely. The character doesn’t stammer constantly, it happens in moments of anxiety, sadness, stress, or excitement.”

He said he made it a point to get honest feedback from the team. “I told the director, if I’m overdoing it, please tell me directly. I also asked the co-directors to watch out for any inconsistency, especially when the director was focused on other aspects.”

 

Speaking about the experience of working with the cast, Aadhi highlighted the dedication of senior actors. “Sai Kumar garu still puts in so much effort after all these years. He prepares in his mind for every shot. Nassar garu, too, even after decades, his presence in every scene feels fresh.”

He mentioned that working with actors like Srikanth Iyengar, Rahul, Shethru, and Tanya Ravichandran gave him a broader view of performance. “In this field, there’s no fixed method. Every actor or director brings a different approach, and you learn from each one.”

On his collaboration with Chaitanya Rao, Aadhi shared that they’ve known each other for a long time. “Chaitanya had a lot of passion and dreams about being in the industry. When Deva Katta sir told me he was playing a key role, I had some concerns. Not about his acting, but about how we’d look on screen together, I’m taller and he has a softer, chocolate-boy image.”

 

He said those doubts quickly disappeared once Chaitanya committed to the role. “He gained weight, grew a thick moustache, and completely changed his appearance. He nailed it. Since we’re friends off-screen, that natural connection reflected well on screen too.”

While Mayasabha is a fictional story, Aadhi said the project sparked his interest in politics. “I didn’t learn about politics directly from the script, but I started following political leaders more closely while working on the show. I watched a lot of interviews and documentaries. There’s a perception that politics is easy and that people enter it just to make money, but that’s not always the case. I realised there’s a lot of hard work involved in administration.”

 

He emphasised that Mayasabha is not based on any real person but noted that the process led him to explore political systems more deeply. “It’s fiction, but it led me to observe real leadership and understand the responsibilities that come with power.”

Aadhi also spoke about his role in Akhanda 2, where he is once again teaming up with director Boyapati Sreenu. “When he approached me, I didn’t even ask for the script. I trusted him. He delivered what he promised with Sarainodu, so I agreed right away.”

 

On working with Balakrishna in the film, Aadhi said, “There was a strong presence whenever he was on set. We spent time together every day, and he shared a lot. The atmosphere was completely different when he wasn’t around.”

Beyond Akhanda 2, Aadhi has several projects lined up. “I’m shooting for Disco, which is a neo-noir, bloody comedy. We also begin work on Marakathamani 2 next month, that’s a fantasy horror comedy. Apart from these, two other projects are in progress, but not yet announced.”

 

When asked about the most comfortable role he’s done so far, he referred to Ninnu Kori. “There was no preparation. I just had to be myself. I keep telling Nani that the shoot felt like an excursion, not work.”
However, he added that comfort isn’t something he seeks anymore. “Staying in your comfort zone limits growth. I’ve realised that discomfort is where real progress happens.”

As for Mayasabha, he encouraged viewers to give it a try. “There aren’t many Telugu political dramas. This one is well-written and well-executed. If you like political stories, I think you’ll enjoy it.”