Cycling was my favourite hobby as a kid: Mahesh Babu
"On our recent vacation in Switzerland, my son Gautam, Namrata and I rode on cycles into the villages... It was good fun. It's a great way to chill with family ."

After making a style statement by riding a bicycle in his recent release Srimanthudu, Mahesh Babu seems to have got into cycling. It was apparent in the chants of "Mahesh... Mahesh!" that filled the air as over 2,500 cyclists cheered on, even as the Tollywood superstar flagged off a cycling rally recently at Gachibowli, Hyderabad.
The actor confesses to being an avid cyclist, saying, "Cycling was my favourite hobby as a kid. I loved taking off on long rides as a child, it was like my thing."
Also read: Became teary-eyed when dad lauded 'Srimanthudu': Mahesh Babu
But he credits director Koratala Siva for coming up with the idea of using the cycle as the vehicle through which the billionaire, Harsha discovers his roots in Srimanthudu. "When Sivagaru narrated the script, he mentioned to me that my character will be seen riding a cycle. That thought itself, the moment I heard it, felt very fresh. The first look of the film had me riding a cycle. The tremendous response that it generated among the audience showed it struck the right chord," explains Mahesh, adding, "I knew from the start that it was going to work. I could connect to the angle of simplicity . Even if you are a billionaire, you don't have to live like one."
Pranita.Jonnalagedda@timesgroup.com
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