With the highly anticipated spy thriller Kingdom, which is helmed by Jersey star Gowtam Tinnanuri and stars Vijay Deverakonda, Malayalam actor Venkitesh VP is set to make his Telugu film debut. The film is scheduled to hit theatres on July 31. Venkitesh has become an immediate favourite among Telugu audiences due to the excitement surrounding his stirring pre-release speech in Hyderabad.
From the Idli Truck to the Large Screen
Venkitesh won over the audience's hearts with an emotional and captivating speech in fluent Telugu during the event. He talked about his nine-year journey as a self-made actor with Keralan roots, starting with supporting parts in Malayalam TV series and moving on to small character parts in movies before landing a villain role in Tamil cinema and now a key role in Kingdom.
"This is the moment I've always dreamed of," Venkitesh said. One day, I hope to be a famous person. I am pleased with myself. Producers and directors, please take me into consideration. I hope to collaborate with Sithara Entertainments once more, but as a hero this time!
"Naa intro ki clap cheyyandi!" he exclaimed as he asked the audience to applaud his arrival in the movie. Please give me a round of applause for my introduction.
"Murugan" is introduced by Vijay Deverakonda.
In Kingdom, Venkitesh portrays Murugan. Vijay Deverakonda introduced him to fans on social media prior to the release, complimenting his powerful performance:
"World — I would like to present @venkitesh_vp, also known as "Murugan," to everyone. Even though it's only his fourth movie, he transported me to his world. With a sweet soul and fierce eyes and energy, this actor is deadly. He will leave a lasting impression.
A Food Truck Business Owner
Venkitesh's off-screen life adds even more significance to his story. He and his friends opened the Suda Suda Idli street food truck in Trivandrum in 2024, where they served hot, freshly made idlis. Videos of Venkitesh cooking, serving, and taking orders by himself have gone viral. The truck is in operation from 7:25 PM to 10 PM, Tuesday through Sunday.
Fans discovered this side of him after his speech from the pre-release event went viral online, and they started praising him as a "symbol of hustle" and a "inspiration." "For Telugu people who don't know him—he came from a TV reality show and now runs an idli food truck in Trivandrum," wrote one user on X (formerly Twitter). There, he still prepares and serves idlis. An actual source of inspiration.
Honoring His Mother
Venkitesh, a huge admirer of Rajinikanth, dedicated his Telugu debut in Kingdom to his mother Tara. He previously starred in the Tamil film Rebel (2024) with GV Prakash Kumar and The Priest (2021) with Mammootty.
A Future Star?
Audiences have responded favorably to Venkitesh's unadulterated enthusiasm, integrity, and humility as Kingdom prepares for release. Now, a lot of people are cheering him on to become the celebrity he has always wanted. One dish and one scene at a time, Venkitesh is gradually but surely capturing people's hearts with his idlis and powerful performances.
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