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‘Just like RRR, we wanted to…’: Jr NTR on casting Bollywood actors Janhvi Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan for Devara
At a pre-release event for Devara, Jr NTR opened up about what went behind the scenes to arrive at the decision of casting Janhvi Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan in Devara.
Jr NTR’s upcoming film Devara has been on the social media buzz for all the right reasons, especially considering it to be the actor’s solo release after a span of six years. Additionally, the project also marks the South cinema debut of two massively successful Bollywood actors, Janhvi Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan. And recently, at the pre-release event for Devara, Jr NTR spilled the beans on what led behind such impeccable casting.
Jr NTR mentioned that the team of Devara really wanted to create a project resembling the humble start off of his previous film RRR, which went on to win big at the global level. In fact, just like the SS Rajamouli directorial, the actor wanted Devara to be a film that would ‘resonate across the country’.
Speaking about Janhvi essaying the lead role of Thangam in the film, Jr NTR mentioned how the team wasn’t very sure about the casting for the particular character for the longest time. However, it was filmmaker Karan Johar who suggested the diva’s name for the movie.
Tarak said, “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.”
Moving on in the revelations, Jr NTR also spilled the beans on the many apprehensions Janhvi had for the particular role in the film, especially concerning the fact that she would have to deliver dialogues in Telugu. Moreover, the actor revealed how the diva was scared if she was compatible enough to live up to the legacy of her mother and late actress, Sridevi.
He said, “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? But she just shocked us with her performance.”
Towards the concluding segment of the interaction, Jr NTR also spoke his mind on what went behind roping in a senior Bollywood actor like Saif Ali Khan to essay the role of the antagonist in the film.
The Janatha Garage star revealed that the makers wanted Saif to reprise a strong role similar to the character of Langda Tyagi from his older movie Omkara. He said, “We wanted to create someone like Langda Tyagi. He will have a strong presence in the narrative.”
Devara: Part 1, directed by Koratala Siva, would hit theaters on September 27, 2024.
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