Telugu star Jr NTR, who stars in Jai Lava Kusa, currently playing in UAE cinemas, says though he does not watch Tamil movies on a regular basis, he is a huge fan of superstars Rajinikanth and Ajith.
“I like Rajini sir not for his style but [for] the aura he has when he appears on screen. The moment he stands in front of you, you forget to blink. That’s why he is a star. I have always been a hard-core Rajnikanth sir fan. After that, Ajith,” NTR said.
The actor is looking forward to playing a triple role in Jai Lava Kusa, where one of his characters is based on mythological villain Ravana.
“Jai Lava Kusa will always be a special film to me. Playing a triple role was emotionally challenging. We have hardly made films revolving around the relationship between brothers,” said Jr NTR.
Produced by NTR’s brother, Kalyanram, under the banner NTR Arts, Jai Lava Kusa is directed by Bobby.
CAREER GRAPH
NTR says he has learned his lessons from the up and downs in his career.
“Success is important but only at a later stage of my life, I realised that personal satisfaction is essential. Ups and downs are quite regular in anyone’s life. You can’t expect to stay on the cliff every day. There’s nowhere else to go from there. So you fall down and you start climbing up again. When you come down, you realise your old mistakes. When you go up, you commit new mistakes,” said NTR.
The actor has delivered back-to-back hits with mainstream films such as Temper, Nannaku Prematho and Janatha Garage, and is ready to work in experimental movies.
“I do believe in commercial films. People have segregated movies into ‘mass’ and ‘class’. Mass is nothing but the quantity of viewers who come to watch a commercial mainstream film that caters to all groups of audiences.
“I want to do experimental films provided that it’s properly planned and budgeted. You have to sell it in such a way that it becomes a win-win situation for everyone. I like challenging myself and want to balance the ‘so-called’ image, which I don’t know what it is.”
TV HOST
NTR says being a host on reality show Bigg Boss in Telugu has helped him open up to his fans.
“What I’m in Bigg Boss is how I behave in my house. My films are scripted, and I’m always stepping into someone else’s shoes. [But] Bigg Boss reflects my true self. It was an opportunity to talk about myself.
NTR says he would love to foray into the Tamil film industry.
“I would love to do Tamil films. I don’t want to do something and just lose. Telugu and Tamil are two different markets. So, I want to concentrate on Telugu now, stabilise and consolidate my hold here before moving on to other industries.
“And for some strange reason, I don’t believe in doing bilinguals or trilinguals. I’m waiting for the right story and the time.”
