- Ram Charan experienced significant mental and emotional challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic
- He spent months isolated from his wife Upasana, which deeply affected his mental health
- Ram Charan struggled with motivation to return to filming RRR after the lockdown ended
The COVID-19 pandemic affected people across the world in unimaginable ways, and Ram Charan was no exception.
Ahead of the release of his upcoming film Peddi, Ram Charan spoke candidly about the emotional toll the pandemic took on him and his wife, Upasana Kamineni Konidela, during a drive around Hyderabad with director Buchi Babu Sana.
"During COVID time, everyone was hit mentally, health-wise, and financially. It hit me too. We were all in a confused state. Fifty per cent of RRR was done by the time the break happened. I was at my peak physically and suddenly the film stopped. I used to stay in an apartment then," he shared.
Ram Charan On Feeling Isolated
Recalling those difficult months, the actor said the constant news of illness and death had a profound impact on him.
"Seeing people die like that. I was staying at Upasana's home. She was constantly attending hospital calls from home. I used to sit alone in my home theatre. She would be beside me physically, but always occupied with something or the other," he said.
Ram Charan then revealed just how emotionally draining that period became.
"You won't believe it - during the entire COVID-19 phase, she stayed in one room managing patients while I lived alone in another room for months. That hit me really hard."
He admitted that spending months in isolation slowly pushed him into a mentally low phase.
"When you are alone for so many days, your thoughts begin to change. I became mentally low. When things started reopening after COVID, I called Rajamouli sir and told him I wanted to meet him once."
SS Rajamouli's Simple Advice
Opening up about that conversation, Ram Charan said he confessed to Rajamouli that he was struggling to feel motivated despite preparing to return to the sets of RRR.
"I told him the shoot was starting soon, but I wasn't getting the energy or motivation to return. I said, 'It's such a big film. I'm working with the biggest director. What's happening to me? Why am I unable to feel motivated?'"
According to the actor, Rajamouli's response changed his perspective entirely.
"He told me, 'Charan, motivation doesn't always come from something big.' What bigger motivation can there be than RRR? Yet even I feel lazy sometimes and don't feel like going to the gym or shoot. He said, 'So it's not like that. The lockdown will end in 20 days. Start small.'"
Ram Charan went on to explain how Rajamouli encouraged him to focus on simple daily tasks.
"He said, 'Find one small task that makes you wake up in the morning. During COVID, there was no work, so I started cleaning my room with the motivation that it should become the cleanest room in Jubilee Hills. Then I moved to the garden. Then the house. Then the farmhouse. Planning construction, improving spaces - these became my small motivations.'"
The actor added that the advice stayed with him and helped him emerge from one of the most emotionally challenging phases of his life.
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