Beyond the voice: Naveen Sajju’s acting leap

From a memorable playback debut in the Kannada movie ‘Lucia’ to venturing into acting with ‘Lo Naveena’, Naveen Sajju reflects on acting, music, and staying connected to his roots

Published - August 07, 2026 08:26 pm IST

Naveen Sajju in ‘Lo Naveena’. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

In 2013, a nervous and overwhelmed Naveen Sajju wanted to back out of singing for Pawan Kumar’s crowd-funded Lucia. A stage performer and folk singer from a small village near Mandya, Naveen found the world of filmmaking intimidating. Today, Naveen’s clarity and confidence about his craft are endearing. There was never any doubt about his talent, but the poise with which he speaks about it shows his growth.

Lucia kick-started the careers of several gifted artistes in Kannada cinema, including Naveen Sajju. After more than a decade of playback singing, Sajju has turned actor with Lo Naveena. The film’s 50-day run in theatres has reassured Sajju to pursue acting further. “I was always an actor,” Naveen tells The Hindu. “I used to sing in stage performances, and that’s what people noticed more.”

As the face of the film, Naveen took on the greater responsibility of anchoring the promotions of Lo Naveena. It is a well-meaning yet flawed movie about a carefree youngster from a village who moves to Bengaluru and faces the challenges of adapting to city life. The film tracks the protagonist Naveena’s journey through friendship and romance.

Naveen admits that the convoluted screenplay was a drawback, but stresses that people from small towns could relate to the events in the protagonist’s life. “The events felt familiar and struck a chord,” he says. That is precisely why Naveen focused on taking the film to rural audiences across Karnataka.

“I travelled to Nanjanagudu, Chamarajanagara, Kollegala, Malavalli and Mandya to promote the movie,” reveals Naveen. “It was as if we were inviting people to a wedding. Interested viewers, in turn, brought in more viewers. If you are confident about your content, it’s important to invest in ground-level promotions.”

Naveen’s concern also stems from the fact that Kannada films are struggling to get footfalls in theatres. “People want entertainment, and it is available easily through social media. People are addicted to reels and short-form content. As makers, our job is to draw their attention back to cinema through creative marketing techniques. In our case, songs played a major role. They continue to rule the charts,” says Naveen, who composed the music for the movie.

Naveen is quick to point out the positive side of social media. “The actors who play the best friends of the protagonist were cast after I saw their comedy sketches online. When I started working in the industry, it was difficult to showcase our talent to industry professionals. Today, the visibility of aspiring actors has increased thanks to social media.”

Lo Naveena might not be a blockbuster, but it’s admirable that the film withstood stiff competition from several marquee releases. “My movie clashed with Dhruva Sarja’s KD, the horror sensation Obsession, Ram Charan’s Peddi and Mango Pachcha (debut of Sanchith Sanjeev, nephew of superstar Sudeep),” recollects Naveen, who travelled even to the smallest towns to exhibit his movie.

“Single screens in Karnataka have reduced drastically. Many of them remain closed for several months and operate occasionally. I went to those theatres and convinced the owners to screen my movie. They were extremely happy with Lo Naveena’s performance.”

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The movie has received a much better response after it began streaming on Prime Video. It is currently trending in the Romantic Comedies section of the platform. “I have got multiple acting offers after Lo Naveena premiered on Prime Video,” reveals Naveen, whose next is an untitled project with director Vinay Krishna. “It helped that Lo Naveena was done by people I knew. It made me comfortable facing the camera.”

Naveen’s high-pitched delivery and rustic voice make him a unique singer. He is one of the few noted artists, after Raghu Dixit, to lead a folk band in the Kannada music space. Currently preparing to perform at the AKKA Silver Jubilee World Kannada Conference in the US in September, Naveen wants to experiment in music while staying rooted in tradition.

“I want to experiment and explore the latest trends without letting go of our heritage. I want my music to incorporate Basavanna’s vachanas and words of Santha Shishunala Sharifa, while still retaining a modern sound.”