Meet a Telugu actor, director, and screenwriter who changed his name at his parents’ advice. This actor began his film career as a child artist at 14 and re-entered showbiz in a leading role in 2017. He once made heads turn for his ugly spat with a news anchor on a show. We are talking about Vishwak Sen.
Who is Vishwak Sen?
Indian actor, director, and screenwriter Vishwak Sen was born Dinesh Naidu in Hyderabad on 29 March 1995. The actor changed his name at the suggestion of his parents, Karate Raju and Uma, before entering the film Industry as a leading actor. According to an IMDb report, Vishwak Sen acquired a degree in journalism from the Little Flower College in Hyderabad. Later, the Telugu actress pursued theatre in Mumbai.
Why did Vishwak Sen change his name?
In a throwback interview earlier this year, Vishwak Sen talked about his name change and revealed why he converted from Dinesh Naidu (his real name). Sen stated that it was not his but his parents’ idea that actually changed his whole life for the better.
As quoted by Republic World, he said, “My first film, Vellipomaake, was deferred by one and a half years. During that time, the poster had my name as Dinesh Naidu only. My parents changed my name because they believed in numerology. It was a strange feeling for me as my name was changed after I had grown up. After the name change, Vellipomaake was released in two weeks. Faluknama Das was in the pre-production, and I got the lucky chance to be part of Ee Nagaraniki Emaindi.”
Further, during the same interview, Vishwak said that he has immense faith and belief in numerology, astrology, and Vaastu Shastra and that his name-changing decision was a turning point in his life.
Vishwak Sen’s filmography
In 2009, Vishwak Sen made his acting debut with the Telugu movie Bangaru Babu. The actor appeared as a child artist at 14 with Jagapathi Babu and Meera Jasmine. However, the 29-year-old actor re-entered the Telugu film Industry as a leading actor in 2017 with the film Vellipomakey. Ali Mohammad-directed film featured Vishwak Sen alongside Nithyasree Reddy as the female lead.
Vellipomakey revolves around Chandu, who falls for a girl but gets disheartened when the girl rejects his proposal. However, things take a turn for Chandu when another girl sends him a friend request on social media. While the film failed at the box office, Vishwak Sen garnered attention for his performance.
After that, the actor appeared in Tharun Bhascker Dhaassyam’s film Ee Nagaranki Emaindhi in 2018. The comedy-drama received positive reviews and was successful at the box office. After acting, Vishwak Sen decided to try his luck in direction and made his directorial debut in 2019 with the film Falaknuma Das, in which he was also the lead actor.
The action crime was a remake of the 2017 Malayalam film Angamaly Diaries. Vishwak Sen’s next project was HIT: The First Case, which was produced by actor Nani in 2020. The investigative thriller follows a police officer’s struggle to solve a mysterious case involving a missing woman.
Apart from that, Vishwak Sen’s notable works include Paagal, Ashoka Vanamlo Arjuna Kalyanam, Ori Devuda, Mukhachitram, Das Ka Dhamki, Boo, Gaami, and Gangs of Godavari.
Vishwak Sen’s fight with News anchor
In 2022, Vishwak Sen grabbed headlines when he appeared on a news channel for an interview. The conversation between the actor and news anchor turned ugly when the latter called Vishwak Sen a “depressed man” and “Paagal Sen.” Things got out of control, and the news anchor asked the actor to leave the studio. The video of the incident went viral on the internet.
Vishwak Sen’s equation with Arjun Sarja
Arjun Sarja’s directorial debut was supposed to star Vishwak Sen. Still, the movie was embroiled in controversy when the veteran actor accused Vishwak Sen of being unprofessional and canceling the shoot at the last minute in a press meeting.
Years later, in 2024, the Gangs of Godavari talked about the incident in an Interview with Rajesh Manne and said, “I said okay to the film because I was promised it would be a collaborative effort. I did not walk out or cancel the shoot, I wanted to postpone it by a day for some clarity. But I think he felt how can someone like me, with no background, ask him for that. He came to my house to talk to my parents also. I didn’t want to prolong the issue because I’ve realized, one bad day is better than a bad film.”
Vishwak Sen’s upcoming movie
Last seen in Krishna Chaitanya’s Gangs of Godavari, Vishwak Sen is gearing up for the release of his upcoming film Mechanic Rocky. Helmed by Ravi Teja Mullapudi, the movie will also feature Meenakshi Chaudhary, Shraddha Srinath, Sunil, Naresh, Hyper Aadi, Harsha Vardhan, and Harsha Chemudu. Sen will be seen playing the character of Ramakrishna, aka Rocky, a mechanic in the film.
