Sitara Ghattamaneni, daughter of actor Mahesh Babu, recently revealed that she skips school “half the time” because of her father. In an interview with iDream Media, the 12-year-old revealed how much her father loves spending time with her when he is free. (Also Read: After Shah Rukh Khan, Mahesh Babu signed up for Mufasa: The Lion King: It’s an experience I will remember with my kids)

“At home he is simply my father”

When asked if she often skips school, Sitara replied that she skips school “half the time” because of her father. She said, “Half the time I skip school is because of my father. On days when he doesn’t have to work… I don’t know how he does it; he convinces my mother (Namrata Shirodkar) not to let me go to school. It’s great and beautiful, we have fun together. I watch all his films in the theatres, recently I watched Murari when it came back in theatres. Honestly, everyone thinks my father is a hero. That’s how I feel when I watch his films. But at home, he is just my father.”

“Gautham and I are taking acting lessons”

Sitara also added that she and her brother Gautham want to follow in their parents’ footsteps and become actors. “I am waiting for the time when he (Gautham) plays the hero role. He has already made his screen debut (in 1: Nenokkadine), but that was when he was a child. He is now going to NYU (New York University) and is doing an acting course for four years. He will definitely become an actor. I am already going to acting classes too. A year ago, I had stage fright, but I have overcome that now,” she said.

Upcoming works

While Gautham made his screen debut as a child actor, Sitara has only appeared in an advertisement for a jewellery brand. Mahesh was also a child actor, mostly in his father Krishna’s films, before becoming a leading man. He made his debut with Rajakumarudu in 1999 but rose to fame with Murari, which released in 2001.

Mahesh was last seen in Trivikram Srinivas’ Guntur Kaaram, which released on Sankranthi this year. The film received a lukewarm response when it was released in theatres. He will now work with SS Rajamouli in an action-adventure film, which is yet to hit the theatres. The cast and crew of the film are yet to be announced. Rajamouli’s father, Vijayendra Prasad, has written the project.