While Adarsh Gourav built his career in Hindi and international projects, his heart has always held a quiet connection to Andhra Pradesh, where his family comes from. Now, with his first Telugu film underway, that bond finally finds expression onscreen. As he shoots for his Tollywood debut in Hyderabad, the White Tiger actor opened up to Hyderabad Times what this journey means to him, the joy of rediscovering his Telugu roots, and his desire to become a director.

Born Adarsh Gourav Bhagavatula in Jamshedpur, the actor comes from a Telugu-speaking household. “Both my parents have roots in Andhra — my dad is from a village near Srikakulam and my maternal grandfather is from near Vizianagaram. It was a rule to speak in Telugu at home,” he shares. “It’s our mother tongue, and my parents made sure I learned it properly from a young age.”

Despite a tight six-day-a-week shoot schedule, Adarsh says Hyderabad has already left a lasting impression. “There wasn’t much time to explore, but the food instantly made me feel at home,” he smiles. “I love Andhra food — pappus, chutneys, kuras, vankai kura, bendakaya kura. It all reminded me of eating at home.”

But it’s more than just food and familiarity with the language. “What’s unique about Hyderabad is how much people love cinema. You’ll find doctors, architects, people from different walks of life trying their hand at filmmaking. That’s really special.”

Adarsh isn’t one to restrict himself by language or geography. He’s currently learning Malayalam and hopes to work in Tamil cinema too. “Wherever there are authentic stories, I want to be a part of them. Language is secondary as long as the story resonates.”

His Telugu debut, he says, has been a point of pride for his entire family. “Over the years, my father’s family in Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam would often ask me when I’d do a Telugu film. I’m finally able to show them something in our own language.”

Adarsh’s portrayal of Jugnu, a trans character, in Guns & Gulaabs was a turning point in his career. “I definitely felt the gaze towards me had shifted,” he reflects.

“It gave me a chance to empathize with what it’s like to transition later in life and the kind of strength it takes.” He adds, “We need to build more sensitivity around the trans community. Live and let live — why would anyone take someone else’s truth as a personal problem?”

In Aanand L Rai’s upcoming Tu Ya Main, Adarsh will be seen in a completely new avatar — as a rapper. “It’s a creature feature, and Shanaya (Kapoor) is my co-actor. It’s a genre I’ve never explored before.” 

He also stars in Alien, a sci-fi show by Noah Hawley. “I was never into sci-fi before, but now I’ve completely switched sides. We shot in Thailand for six months alongside The White Lotus team. It was one of the most enriching experiences I’ve had.”

Looking ahead, Adarsh has his sights on directing. “I want to venture into filmmaking in my 30s. My first film might be a satire-drama. I think horror is very difficult to do well, and I’m not ready for that just yet. But I do have many stories in me and I’m excited to tell them.”

Though Adarsh had harboured a desire to work in Telugu films for a while, he wasn’t sure how to break into the industry. A chance conversation with actor Samantha Ruth Prabhu at the Citadel success party changed that. “I told her that I wanted to work in Telugu cinema and she connected me with Himank Reddy, who took me around Hyderabad and introduced me to a few directors and producers. That’s when I met Jahnavi and Baba, and things fell into place.”

The film, a psychological horror thriller, is being helmed by a debutant director. “Baba’s actually an architect who’s been working on the script for nearly 10 years. I found that fascinating. It’s also his first film and mine in Telugu, so it felt like a great alignment,” he says.