Telugu boy Roni is a Hollywood ‘hero’ now!

Out of thousand Indian boys who were auditioned, Telugu boy

Roni Akurati

made the cut to bag the lead role in the recently released cross-cultural comedy,

Growing Up Smith

. Looking at the headlines describing the film, Roni seems to have made big impression. Sample a few: ‘Lake Zurich’s Roni Akurati a charmer in comedy’, says Chicago Daily Herald. ‘Roni Akurati Steals the Show in Growing Up Smith’, reads another. The film has got an IMDB rating of 8.5 and was TIME magazine’s pick for ‘movie of the week’ in the first week of February. And Roni is pleased as punch.
“This was my first feature film, and I’m glad I got the chance to act with great actors like Jason Lee,

Hillary Burton

and

Anjum Nigam

. To be selected out of 1,000 Indian boys who had auditioned for the role is a matter of great pride. But if I have to make a name for myself, I’ve got to push on and keep improving,” shares Roni, who is pursuing his ninth grade in Lake Zurich, Illinois.
The 100-minute film narrates the story of Smith Bhatnagar, a 10-year-old Indian boy growing up in America in 1979. While his family tries to straddle the fine line between embracing the American Dream and preserving their Indian heritage, Smith tries to integrate himself with the kids at school. He falls in love with the girl-next-door Amy, much to the chagrin of his over bearing, sanskari dad. And there ensues a tussle of resolve between father and son.
Although Roni had acted in theatre productions and a couple of TV Shows, he admits he needed to be coached on a few nuances of acting, since it was a film set in the late 1970s. “Anjum Nigam who plays my father in the film was a huge source of advice and helped me be very natural in front of the camera,” says Roni.
He told about how things were in the 1970s — the mannerisms, the style of talking and general culture,” says Roni who has also acted with Hollywood icon Ben Stiller on three episodes of a sitcom called Another Period on Comedy Central last year.
A native of

Tadepalligudem

, Roni is a self confessed Allu Arjun fan, and has his heart set on Telugu cinema. “I would love to do Tollywood films if I’m given a chance. I love Allu Arjun and the way he dances,” says Roni even as his mother Rajani Akurati, a native of Vijayawada, echoes, “When he was very young, he used to look at Tollywood actors and dance at home. We immediately recognised the talent that he had and sent him for acting classes.”
And Roni seems to be dealing with his new found stardom pretty well. “I’m as normal as ever with my friends. Of course, I now have to sign quite a few autographs for girls and guys but I’m just the same and my friends appreciate me for that,” says Roni when asked how he is dealing with the attention.
An impressive resume
Played Tabu in TV sitcom Another Period (2015)
Played Young Stewart in TV series Other Space (2015)
Played Rupesh in TV series Palo Alto (2014-2016)
Plays source boy in TV series The Great News (2017)
Awards
Winner Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature - Prescott Film Festival 2016
Winner Jury Award for Best Family Feature - Garden State Film Festival 2016
Winner Comcast Narrative Jury Award for Best Feature - CAAMFest 2016
Winner Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature - Woodstock Film Festival 2015
Winner Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature - Naples International Film Festival 2015
Best of the Fest - Seattle International Film Festival 2015