Mumbai, Sep 10 (PTI) Telugu superstar Jr NTR on Tuesday said he is nervous about the release of “Devara” as it’s his first film as a solo hero after six years and also his first outing after the 2022 mega-blockbuster “RRR”.
Billed as a high-octane action drama set in the forgotten coastal lands of India, the first part of the film is set to be released on September 27.
The actor, whose last released film as a leading man was 2018 “Aravinda Sametha Veera Raghava”, said “Devara” will do well commercially like “RRR”, in which he was seen alongside Ram Charan.
He recalled director Koratala Siva narrating the idea of “Devara” to him before the release of “RRR”.
“I’m very nervous because after ‘RRR’ this is my next film. ‘RRR’ was with my co-actor Mr Ram Charan, this is my solo release after six years, so there’s a lot of nervousness building.
“I’m very happy to launch the trailer of ‘Devara’ in the city of Mumbai because the experience we’ve had was surreal. The acceptance of North has shocked us all and I hope it repeats with ‘Devara’,” the actor told reporters here at the trailer launch of the film.
“Devara” also stars Jahnvi Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan in key roles.
The 41-year-old actor, known as the man of the masses among his fans, said the action sequences of “Devara” were quite challenging.
“It is an action drama, which is extremely high on action. Saif sir will agree with me that there were some physically strenuous action sequences we have been a part of.
“Solomon (Raju), who worked on ‘RRR’ as well, has extensively worked on the underwater and overwater sequences in the film,” he said, adding that he shot for about 38 days underwater and about 60 days over water.
“I can’t point out one particular sequence or stunt but I’m sure Anil (Thadani, distributor) sir, Apoorva (Mehta of Dharma Productions) sir, and Karan (Johar, presenter) sir will agree that the last 40-minutes of ‘Devara’ is going to rock you all. I can’t wait for people to watch the vision of my director, Siva,” the actor said. Jr NTR, 41, also revealed that one of the action sequences that he hated the most in “Devara” was the scene where he is seen riding a shark.
“There’s also that sequence of me riding on the shark. I hated shooting for it! It took a lot of time, I was in a 200×150 tank, which was about five and a half feet, and that shot took almost one day to get it right,” the actor said.
Siva, who has directed Jr NTR in his 2016 action vigilante film, “Janatha Garage”, said he is amazed how the actor dives deep into his character when the camera rolls.
“He is a close friend of mine. When he is in front of the camera, he suddenly changes his persona,” the director said, adding, he is a bit tense about “Devara” since it’s his first Pan-India release. The film is produced by Yuvasudha Arts and NTR Arts, and presented by Nandamuri Kalyana Ram.
Johar, who will present “Devara” in north Indian territories through his banner Dharma Productions, said he is proud and privileged to present “Devara” in the North of India.
“There are so many friends attached to this journey, not just Tarak (Jr NTR), who is a dear friend, and this is the beginning of a new one, and he knows what I’m talking about.
“Saif is someone I love and adore, not just as a filmmaker but as a friend and family. Just our kids playing with each other makes my heart full of love, the fact that Yash and Taimur are BFFs in school, means the world to me, this is a legacy friendship that will go on. Saif is exceptional in the film; you will realise this soon,” the filmmaker said.
“What do I say about my child (Kapoor), beaming in gold, looking as gorgeous as ever. I remember the moment when Tarak and I spoke about casting Janhvi in ‘Devara’, I felt like a proud papa when she started performing. Matching steps with Tarak is no mean task, she gave it her best,” he added.
Johar also expressed gratitude to Jr NTR for presenting his 2022 home production film, “Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva”, starring Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt, in Hyderabad.
“It was a big moment for us, such a megastar going out of his way to speak for another film. He impacted the box office of ‘Brahamastra’ in the south, and we are grateful to him. PTI KKP BK BK
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