"Kalki 2898 AD was competing with Hollywood standards, I have certain limitations": Teja Sajja

India Forums got into an exclusive conversation with actor Teja Sajja, who shot to pan-India fame with HanuMan and is now gearing up for the release of his next big project, Mirai. The young star opened up about the scale of the film, comparisons with other high-budget spectacles like Kalki 2898 AD, and why limitations don’t stop him from dreaming big.

After the success of HanuMan, Teja Sajja is stepping into uncharted territory with Mirai. The film, presented in Hindi by none other than Karan Johar under Dharma Productions, is already creating a buzz for being the highest-budget film of Teja’s career. Directed by Karthik Gattamneni, Mirai promises an immersive world of action and fantasy.

Talking about the film’s scale, Teja admitted that while his earlier projects have had their limitations, his team’s vision has always remained boundless. 'I have certain limitations. Probably if I am also given bigger budgets, I will definitely try to deliver something on par with international films. But there are no limitations for my dreams, for the vision, for the world that we want to create. We are ready to do whatever it takes,' he shared with conviction.

It’s natural for audiences to draw parallels between films that explore mythological or fantasy-based themes. With Mirai arriving in the same era as Kalki 2898 AD, Teja was asked whether big money is always needed to make a big film.

The actor was quick to address the comparisons with grace. 'There’s no way that we can compare anything with Kalki, because Kalki has delivered something that looks like it was competing with Hollywood standards in all aspects. So Kalki is not the right example to talk about, and we are all proud of Kalki,' he said.

For Teja, it isn’t about budget excuses, but about how far an actor and filmmaker are willing to go for their vision. 'If it asks us to go to live locations and shoot for it, we would do it. If it asks me to learn running over the train and run over it, I’m ready to do it. We’ll cross all the obstacles, all the limitations to make it look like a real big film,' he added passionately.

His Journey So Far

Teja Sajja’s journey has been anything but conventional. He first appeared on screen as a child actor in Telugu cinema, where audiences grew familiar with his performances. After taking a break, he restarted his acting career at 19, auditioning for new roles and building his place in the industry from scratch.

His turning point came with HanuMan, which didn’t just showcase him as a leading man but also made him a household name beyond the Telugu states. Interestingly, Teja did not rush to sign every project that came his way after the film’s blockbuster run. Instead, he carefully chose scripts that were high on content and vision.

Mirai – his most ambitious leap

With Mirai, Teja is now stepping into his most ambitious project yet. The film stars Manchu Manoj as the main antagonist, while Ritika Naik plays the female lead. It also boasts a stellar supporting cast including Jagapathi Babu, Shriya Saran, Jayaram, and Pawan Chopra. The combination of big names, a larger-than-life storyline, and Dharma Productions’ Hindi presentation has raised expectations sky-high.

For Teja, though, the heart of Mirai lies in its storytelling and the world-building that audiences will step into. It represents the next phase of his career, where scale meets substance, and where an actor’s belief in the story becomes as important as the grandeur on screen.

As Mirai races toward its theatrical release on September 12, Teja Sajja is both excited and determined. And as Mirai prepares to hit the big screens, his words echo a simple truth: big money helps, but it’s big dreams that keep cinema alive.