Watch: Tharun With Gulte Pro

Tharun spoke to Gulte Pro about his upcoming film Om Shanti Shanti Shantihi, which is set to release on January 30 and features him in the lead role. He said regional cinema is pushing boundaries and improving in quality. According to him, content driven platforms have changed the way stories are told, and at times even short Instagram reels feel more cinematic than full length films.

He believes that while formats may keep changing, the soul of storytelling remains the same. For Tharun, art is anything that brings comfort and connects with human emotions. He openly shared that he draws inspiration from many forms, including intense cinema and raw documentary style visuals. Though AI and advanced visual effects are becoming more common, he strongly feels that the human element in storytelling will never lose its importance.

Tharun also made it clear that he does not like being restricted to a single label. Inspired by Bruce Lee’s idea of being flexible like water, he sees himself as a creative person first, whether he is acting, directing, painting, or studying digital content. He said he is not interested in chasing fame, rankings, or industry validation, adding that personal freedom matters the most to him.

Talking about Ee Nagaraniki Emaindi, Tharun said he is extremely proud of the film even though some people see it as flawed. He explained that the film broke stereotypes and was created purely out of passion and experimentation with friends. He also shared that he hopes to take a break at some point and rediscover the innocence he had during his early filmmaking days.

He ended with a simple message to the audience. Tharun urged viewers to watch the film as a film, without carrying preconceived notions or online negativity, and to allow themselves to be fully immersed in the experience.