Following in the footsteps of a star brother can have its pitfalls. Anand Deverakonda, who is often compared to elder brother Vijay Deverakonda, knows it all too well. But if the praise coming his way for his act in Middle Class Melodies is any indication, Anand will step out of his brother's shadow soon. "I liked the story and its authentic flavour. No one has presented middle-class lives so honestly before," says Anand of his second film, which premiered on Amazon Prime Video.

He takes the comparisons with the Arjun Reddy actor in his stride, deeming them inevitable. "It's natural that people will compare us initially. [The comparisons] will die down slowly if I establish myself by my sixth or seventh film. Hopefully, by then, people will recognise me for my work." He credits Vijay for preparing him mentally for the hard road ahead. "When I told him I wanted to give movies a shot, he told me that the world of cinema is different. He said, 'It's hard to make it big here, and I won't help you.' Now, he is happy with my choices."