Slightly over 25 years of experience in the competitively-creative industry and donning the greasepaint for more than 93 films, ‘hits’ and ‘flops’ don’t matter much to this suave hero who’s known for his style.
From the ‘lover-boy’ in that runaway success ‘Geetanjali’ way back in 1989 or the angry man and ‘nice-guy-in-college-until-he-graduated-in-violence’ as ‘Shiva’ in 1990 or donning the robes of poet-saint-composers ‘Annamayya’ (1997) and ‘Sri Ramadasu’ (2006) or playing God in ‘Shirdi Sai’ (2012), Akkineni Nagarjuna has displayed a versatility that is envied by every actor.
Fighting feudal lords
The range does not stop there, if one were to look at films like ‘Criminal’, ‘Don’, ‘Mass’ or more recently, ‘Rajanna’ where he fights feudal lords. With such a record comes ‘Greeku Veerudu’ directed by Dasaradh of ‘Swagatham’and ‘Santosham’fame, all set to hit the silver screens Friday next (May 3). Music by S.S. Thaman is already considered rocking.
“It has been a long time since I did a romcom (romantic comedy),” admits the star who gives much younger heroes the ‘blues’, with a discipline that gives him the right looks that a film demands.
Needless to say, ever since this venture by Dasaradh was announced, people have remembered that oh-so-popular, racy number that goes, ‘Greeku veerudu …’in the earlier romcom ‘Ninne Pelladutha’that had Nag and Tabu in the lead.
Ask him about the parallels that people draw and the resemblances recalled about ‘Ninne Pelladutha’and the actor smiles, saying, “Ïn retrospect, I think the title ‘Greeku veerudu’would have suited it better, back then.
Ask Nagarjuna what makes him sign on the dotted line and he does not take much time to think before saying ‘sensibility’ was what mattered most.
“I have never thought of movies just for myself. Some sensibility should be there in the script and that is what motivates me to do a film,” says the actor who is also known for making smart and sensible decisions when it comes to his real life role as a ‘businessman’.
Dream role
What does this guy look forward to, with every film and does he have a dream role in mind, something he feels he should do, even as he races towards the century-mark?
“No, nothing like that and I don’t have an ideal role in mind. I just watch out for a feel-good film, both for myself and the audience and fans. At the end of day, that is what matters,” he says.
What next? ‘Bhai’ of course, he quips. Now ‘Bhai’ has already drawn attention, for it has in the cast the grandfather-son-grandson combination from the Akkineni family, comprising thespian Nageswara Rao, Nagarjuna and his son Naga Chaitanya.
“I like the punch in the dialogues in ‘Bhai’, which has been directed by Vikram. My dad is not playing my dad, neither is Chaitu playing my son. We all have our roles. But no more details for I will save those for another day,” this Quentin Tarantino fan smiles before signing off.
