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Do superstars have jitters before a film’s release? They are guaranteed a massive opening at the box office. They know people will throng to the theatres even if they don’t promote the film nationwide. They know records are meant to be made and broken like it is just another Friday. Yet, do superstars have jitters before a film’s release? “I am very nervous sitting here,” declares Jr NTR, who has delivered massive blockbusters, and was also part of a ‘little’ film called RRR that won two Oscars and became a rage across the world.
“Honestly, I am very tense. There is a lot riding on Devara, my first solo film in six years after Aravinda Sametha Veera Raghava. Of course, RRR was also a film by THE Rajamouli. This is all on us. We know the results are not in our hands, but I am confident about the team, and the kind of technicians in Devara. They have all done something wonderful for the film.”
Even before it was announced that Anirudh was composing the music for Jr NTR-Koratala Siva’s Devara, fans were trending the hashtags, “We want Ani for NTR 30.” Such was the craze among the Jr NTR fans to see his massiest best elevated to even higher levels in Anirudh’s music. When it was announced, and the first teaser came out, followed by the songs and the trailer, it was clear that the audience was always right.
“Anirudh has been rocking. This is Ani’s era. Many have a big phase of success, but it fizzles out after a while. Anirudh is here to stay,” says a beaming Jr NTR, who is using the promotional drive to promote his upcoming film, and hype Anirudh. “The amount of hard work he puts in is phenomenal. Sometimes filmmakers are in dire need of an output, but it doesn’t mean Anirudh compromises on the quality. He knows the importance of music in our films.”
Talking about the times he truly enjoyed Anirudh’s music, Jr NTR pointed out the examples of Jailer and Vikram. “I don’t remember the last time I went berserk seeing Rajinikanth sir on the screen. Anirudh’s music added a lot of value to the film. Even in Vikram and Master, he was phenomenal. I am sure Anirudh will reach AR Rahman sir’s level, and compose for international films. That is my vision for Anirudh.”
Devara, which is releasing in two parts, is billed as a pan-Indian film. Right from the star cast including actors like Jahnvi Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan in their South Indian debuts, to the title being easily relatable in every language, the makers have ensured that the film is positioned to be a film for everybody.
“Devara means a god. Like Devata? You have local deities in villages, Devara is something along those lines. Just like RRR, we wanted a title that would resonate across the country. So, we zeroed in on Devara,” says Jr NTR, who reveals that the names of the two characters he plays in this Siva directorial are Devara and Vara. “Without a doubt, this is my most ambitious attempt, of course, outside my films with Rajamouli.”
Devara, set to hit screens on September 27, might seem like another mass masala film featuring one of the biggest Indian superstars. However, time and again, everyone involved in the making of Devara reiterates that the film isn’t a superficial masala film, but one with intricate layers of storytelling and technical wizardry.
“See, the film is complex in terms of the VFX shots. It is important to understand that VFX is not just about adding fire to a shot or breaking a glass, etc… It is a subject on its own. Rajamouli has mastered it, but it is not everyone’s cup of tea,” says Jr NTR, who lists the kind of work that has gone behind the scenes of Devara to ensure that the underwater sequences look as realistic as possible.
“Designing the water element through VFX is the toughest, but we have pulled it off very brilliantly. We created the sea, and Sabu Cyril sir’s efforts to make it as realistic as possible is the clincher. We created a 200 ft tank for the boat sequence, an international standard swimming pool for the underwater portions, and even the boats that he created could be used to go out in actual waters,” says the Nannaku Prematho actor, who points out the biggest curse for such technicians who conjure up magic out of thin air, and in this case, water.
“We live in an era where someone just says it is all ‘VFX’ even when a production designer puts in so much effort to make things look real. But yeah, Sabu sir is a mad talent.”
While Devara is undoubtedly mounted on the shoulders of Jr NTR, he is joined in this endeavour by some of the finest actors of Indian cinema. The film stars Saif Ali Khan, Kalaiyarasan, Prakash Raj, Meka Srikanth, and Jahnvi Kapoor. It is interesting that Jahnvi is starring opposite Jr NTR in her debut Telugu film as her illustrious mother Sridevi was one of the most iconic pairs of his grandfather, the legendary actor-politician NT Rama Rao. In many ways, Devara is considered a homecoming for Jahnvi.
“Honestly, while writing the script, we hadn’t zeroed in on anybody to play the female lead. But she was manifesting it so much, and then, Karan Johar called me and said Jahnvi is a bright actor, and we should have her in the movie. Even then, the intention wasn’t there to cast her, but she manifested this so much that by the end of the writing process, we couldn’t not cast her in Devara,” reveals Jr NTR, who goes on to talk about how Jahnvi was just perfect for the role, and she aced it with her performance.
“Yes, she had a lot of fear and tension within her. How would she speak Telugu? How would she deliver her performance in Telugu? How would she dance, and most importantly, would she be able to live up to the legacy of Sridevi garu. Let’s be honest, Sridevi garu will never leave us. And that halo will never be lifted off Jahnvi too. But she just shocked us with her performance,” says a confident Jr NTR, who heaped praises on his co-stars Saif Ali Khan, Kalaiyarasan, and Shine Tom Chacko too.
Here’s the Devara Trailer:
Talking in detail about what made the makers cast Saif Ali Khan as the powerful Bhairava of Devara, Jr NTR said that they wanted to create something as lasting as his Langda Tyagi from Omkara. “Even Saif sir said this was something he hadn’t done before. We wanted to create someone like Langda Tyagi. He will have a strong presence in the narrative. Even Kalaiyarasan and Shine Tom Chacko have done roles that they haven’t done before. You see, Devara is an action drama, and such films work only when they have memorable and relatable characters. Devara has it.”
What has happened after the super success of Baahubali, and even RRR, is that every Indian superstar worth their weight in box-office gold wants to make a pan-Indian film. The films are released in multiple languages right from Day 1. One can’t help but think Jr NTR is also burdened with the same pressure, especially after the global success of RRR. However, the third-generation superstar has immense clarity about what constitutes a pan-Indian success.
“I am not in the game of making films on the pan-Indian scale. You should only push it when the story can travel. There is no point pushing it just because you have a market,” says the actor, adding, “Some stories work locally, some work only in the south, some would work across the nation, and some would work globally. It is important to understand the strength of your story.”
The actor also said that the story influenced the makers’ decision to release Devara in two parts. “If India was ready for a five-hour film, I would have released Devara as a single part. There is a stigma that a film with a runtime of 180+ minutes would test the audience’s patience. But then, look at Animal, and its success. How did that happen? It is all about how you narrate the stories.”
Jr NTR strongly believes that it is the writer and filmmaker’s ability and conviction that makes a rooted film a pan-Indian phenomenon. “A beautiful example is Rishab Shetty’s Kantara. My mother is a Kannadiga, and I grew up listening to the stories of Guliga and Panjurli. All of a sudden, there is a movie about them. Honestly, I never thought the film would strike a chord with the country. But it did, right? The story decides its audience.”
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