Sitara Ghattamaneni reveals she often skips school to spend time with dad Mahesh Babu

In a recent interview with, Sitara Ghattamaneni, the 12-year-old daughter of superstar Mahesh Babu, shared some endearing insights into her life and relationship with her father. Sitara candidly revealed that she skips school quite often, and the reason behind it is none other than her dad.

“Half the time I bunk school is because of my dad,” Sitara admitted with a smile. She explained how her father, when he has some free time from his busy work schedule, convinces her mother, Namrata Shirodkar, to let her stay home. “On days he doesn't have work... I don't know how he does it; he persuades my mother to let me not go to school. It’s great and lovely; we have fun together,” she added.

When asked about her father’s stardom, Sitara mentioned that although the world sees Mahesh as a hero, to her, he’s simply her dad. “I watch all his films in theatres, I recently watched Murari when it re-released. Honestly, everyone thinks of my dad as a hero. I feel that way when I watch his films. But at home, he's just my dad.”

Sitara also spoke about her aspirations and her family’s influence on her future career. She added that both she and her brother Gautham seem eager to follow in their parent’s footsteps and venture into acting. Sitara shared her excitement about Gautham’s journey, stating, “I’m waiting for the time he plays the hero role. He already debuted on-screen (in 1: Nenokkadine) but it was when he was a child. He’s going to NYU (New York University) now and doing a drama course for four years. He’s definitely going to be an actor.”

As for herself, Sitara is already preparing for a future in acting. She revealed that she has been attending acting classes and has overcome her stage fright, which was a challenge for her just a year ago. So far, Sitara has only appeared in an advertisement for a jewellery brand, but her passion for acting suggests that she may soon take on more significant roles.

The Ghattamaneni family has a long-standing connection with the film industry. Mahesh himself began his career as a child actor, mostly in his father Krishna’s films, before making his debut as a lead actor in 1999 with Rajakumarudu.  Looking ahead, the actor is set to collaborate with acclaimed filmmaker SS Rajamouli for an upcoming action-adventure film. While the details of the cast and crew remain under wraps, the project has already garnered significant attention.