My wife is my best critique: Mahesh Babu

Hyderabad: From playing a blue-eyed grand-mother's boy in 'Murari', to the super-cop in 'Dookudu' and the super-smart gangster in 'Businessman', actor Mahesh Babu has come a long way.

Since his debut in 1999 with Raja Kumarudu, the actor's success graph has seen a fair number of troughs and crests.

However, the box office success of 'Dookudu' which has reportedly raked in more than a billion rupees, has set this star on a cloud nine he is more than happy to float on for the time being.

'This is so far the best phase in my career. It's come after its own share of disappointments. So I think Ill enjoy it while it lasts. With two hits back-to-back ('Dookudu' and 'Businessman'), I am a very happy man at the moment,' says the 36-year-old.

However, ask him if he's outdone himself and he smiles sheepishly saying, 'I don't know.'

'Businessman' had the strength of Jagan's (Puri Jagannadh) direction. His specialty, dialogue scripting and hero characterisation, was what held the movie in good stead.

I had complete faith in him and I just trusted his instincts. The movie was carefully crafted. The marketing team planned a year in advance about how to promote it.

The movie being a new format, we had to wait to see how the audience would receive it. I do believe 'Businessman' has the potential to become a cult film, especially among Telugu audience. That was the conviction with which Jagan and I did the movie.

After 'Sainukudu' and 'Athidhi', I decided I needed a break. I went on a eight-month hiatus which became two years. I was really confused at that point of time and felt acting had become monotonous.

Personally too, I wasn't doing too well. A few people close to me had passed away. Professionally, post the success of 'Pokiri', I tried to hang on to that and recreate that in my next films.

That's where I made the mistake. When returned to the industry, I knew I had to experiment and that's how 'Khaleja' happened. It was a learning experience. Those two years were a much needed break.

At one point I used to take criticism badly. I used to get angry and upset. But now, I've become a much calmer person. I've learnt to accept them and judge them on my own. If the critique is right, I will listen.

However, that isn't to say I do not get affected by my movie not doing well. Hits make me happy and flops upset me. Anybody who claims otherwise is lying. So far, my best critique has been my wife. She's direct and honest.

Actors like Amitabh Bachchan are my inspiration. However, I look up to my father and consider him the best there is, simply going by the amount of experience he has.

If there is a standard I would like to reach, that would be him. Nevertheless, I wouldn't like to do a remake of his films. For that matter, I don't like doing remakes at all.

Despite my father being the star Krishna, I do not consult with him on the scripts I choose. They are my decisions and my learning experience. When I look back, I should be who I am based on the decisions I make.

However, I do take his criticisms, and he has uncannily been right most times. For instance, when 'Nani' released he said that if the movie was a hit, I wasn't an actor at all.

On another occasion, after watching 'Sainikudu', he simply said that the movie wouldn't work at all.

I'm a home-bird and don't like going out too much. As an actor at this point, I'm just going with the flow. I don't see myself anywhere per say. I just do the best I can with what I have.

At the end of the day, I am happy with where I am. Looking back, is there anything I want to change? Not really. I've learnt a lot and I'm moving on.

As an actor, I don't think I'll ever be satisfied, so there's no one role that I can pick out and say, 'This is it.'