In front of a raucous crowd in Chennai, Jr NTR reminded the world that Devara Part-1 is his first solo film in six years. Between Trivikram Srinivas’ 2018 blockbuster Aravinda Sametha Veera Raghava, and Devara, which is set to hit the screens on September 27, Jr NTR had starred in RRR, a film that firmly established Indian cinema’s stamp on the global map. However, it wasn’t a solo film as the SS Rajamouli directorial also starred Ram Charan alongside Jr NTR. Speaking at the Chennai event to promote the Tamil version of Koratala Siva’s Devara, Jr NTR was a picture of confidence and poise.
Jr NTR was joined by the cast and crew of the film, including Janhvi Kapoor, Kalaiyarasan, composer Anirudh Ravichander, cinematographer Ratnavelu, art director Sabu Cyril, and director Siva. While many just took the opportunity to thank each other for giving it their all for Devara, one common thread among those speeches was the revelation that the film posed a myriad of challenges to each of them.
While it was an event that largely focused on introducing Devara to the Tamil audience in the hope that they would come in droves to watch the Tamil version with the same love they give the original Telugu version, the highlights of the event were the speeches of Janhvi Kapoor and Jr NTR.
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Janhvi, who is making her debut in the South with Devara Part 1, spoke in almost perfect Tamil thanking the audience for loving her mother and legendary actress Sridevi. “Some of my best memories with amma have been spent in Chennai. I’ll always be grateful for the love you’ve given my amma. It is this love that made us all become what we are today. I hope the same love will be given to me too, and I promise I’ll work really hard to be deserving of that love,” said Janhvi.
Team Devara at the Chennai press meet.
Jr NTR praised the cast and technicians on stage, and said it was very satisfying to be among the pillars of Devara, and hoped the audience would acknowledge all their efforts on September 27, and the days after. Winding up the event, Jr NTR talked about the blurring of boundaries between the various cinema industries in India. He said, “Yes, we are divided by language, but after Baahubali, we are not divided by cinema anymore.” Even before the applause for this wisely worded statement died down, the actor was asked if there was a chance of him starring in a direct Tamil film. Without missing a beat, Jr NTR held the mic, looked into the camera, and said, “If Vetri Maaran sir calls me, I will do a straight Tamil film.”
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Never say never, they say. And as Jr NTR rightly pointed out, the world is getting smaller, and the opportunities that were once considered far-fetched are at the tip of our fingers. With War 2 opposite Hrithik Roshan coming up, one never knows… Jr NTR in a straight Tamil film might not be that far away either.
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