The team has done something phenomenal for Devara: Jr NTR

CHENNAI: With just a day left for the release of Devara, Jr NTR meets us in Chennai and says, “We last spoke before the release of RRR. Now I am here for Devara, and I should say I am quite nervous. We have done a good film but the results are not in our hands. One thing I can say is that apart from the content, I am confident about the team­– Siva, Randy, Sabu Cyril, Sreekar Prasad, (Rathnavelu) and then there is Ani (Anirudh Ravichander). They would have definitely done something phenomenal for the film. I wish I could show it to you but just a few more hours left and Devara is all yours.”

Jr NTR clarifies that Devara refers to a deity in the countryside. “Namma Tamil Nadu la kuladheivam nu solluvaanga (In Tamil Nadu called Kuladheivam). We have many such deities in south India. When we discussed the title, we believed that Devara can resonate with the audience across languages. How RRR struck a chord immediately, similarly Devara too has been relatable to the audience. Devara is about two characters Devara and Varadha. We were able to pack that into the title as well,” he adds.

Jr NTR is in a flow when he talks about his dear friend Anirudh’s involvement in the film. “You all have been listening to Anirudh’s music. This is clearly his era and he has been killing it. He understands what sort of music a story requires and he has exactly given us that. The amount of hard work Ani puts in for a film is tremendous. He doesn’t compromise at all. I am not talking only about Devara. Even in Jailer, I went berserk seeing Rajini sir where Ani’s music too played a part. Then there is Vikram, and Master. My vision of Anirudh is that he will definitely go global soon,” he remarks.

Just as he keeps talking, Anirudh walks into the room wearing a denim jacket. Jr NTR immediately greets him, saying ‘’Vaa machi”. We ask Jr Ntr if he wouldn’t want his buddy to debut as a hero in Telugu, Tarak replies, “No, Ani can stay here and make his debut in Tamil as a hero. I want him to focus on giving me good music in Telugu.”

A few years ago, Anirudh told us about working on mass heroes’ films and the pressures that come along with it. “With respect to Devara, I call him my anna. This is only my fourth film in Telugu. Anna’s fans are ‘hectic’ and they were trending the hashtag of #WeWantAnirudh even before I could sign the project. Siva then narrated the story to me and when I heard it I realised that it isn’t a mainstream film and has a very different concept. It is also his first solo release in six years. So, I was drawn to it. And on the pressure part, do you think I look like someone who takes the pressure of a project?” laughs Anirudh.

Devara also marks Jahnvi Kapoor’s debut in south. “It looks like she has manifested this project. Karan Johar recommended Jahnvi and we were convinced. There are going to be comparisons drawn with her mother and from an angle, she looks like Sridevi ma’am. She has also delivered a wonderful performance in the movie,” says Jr NTR as the team heads for a press conference.