Nagarjuna Akkineni interview: On playing a middle-class man in ‘Kuberaa’ and a suave antagonist in ‘Coolie’

Amid the promotional whirlwind, when Nagarjuna Akkineni lastly sits down for this interview, he jokes about being the one one giving interviews whereas director Sekhar Kammula is tied up with last-minute post-production. Kuberaa, his first collaboration with the filmmaker, and with co-stars Dhanush, Rashmika Mandanna and Jim Sarbh, releases in cinemas in a number of languages on June 20.

The trailer, which hints at a drama spanning totally different strata of society, has already sparked curiosity. “At any time when we step into a brand new zone, we at all times have butterflies. We wonder if the viewers will settle for it,” says Nagarjuna, who has been watching current releases to grasp viewers sentiment. “Folks have been receptive to movies with sturdy drama and compelling characters, no matter scale. In Kuberaa, we’re all enjoying characters — we’re not appearing like stars. I consider that can resonate.”

This collaboration has been a very long time coming. Nagarjuna doesn’t conceal his admiration for Sekhar’s potential to craft socially aware, but entertaining movies that additionally carry out nicely on the field workplace. “We’ve got met a number of instances over time, and I used to joke with him — he has labored with my spouse, son, and nephew, so what’s stopping him from casting me?”

Amala Akkineni starred in Life is Stunning,Naga Chaitanya in Love Story, and Sumanth performed the lead in Godavari. Nagarjuna remembers, “Sekhar would say, ‘You’re a massive star — I’m not certain you’ll match into my tales’. And I’d inform him, he is a superb storyteller, and stars like us may also help carry folks to the cinema. It’s not simply true for Telugu, Hindi or Tamil cinema — even in Hollywood, audiences go to theatres to observe a Tom Cruise or Tom Hanks movie.”

Onerous-hitting and entertaining

When Sekhar lastly approached Nagarjuna for Kuberaa, the actor readily accepted. “I don’t usually get such alternatives the place I can actually turn out to be a personality,” he says. Recalling the movie’s pre-release occasion, he provides, “SS Rajamouli put it superbly. He spoke about how Sekhar, who seems deceptively soft-spoken, by no means compromises on his ideas, and that conviction reveals in his storytelling.”

Sekhar Kammula and Nagarjuna in the course of the dubbing course of
| Picture Credit score:
Particular Association

Lately, Nagarjuna has appeared within the motion dramas Wild Dog and The Ghost, in addition to the entertainer Naa Saami Ranga. Whereas none stood out remarkably, they hinted on the actor’s need to reinvent himself. “I used to be searching for one thing distinctive and located that in Sekhar’s movie,” he says. “Take Wild Canine, for example, the narration was stable however simple, with no room for industrial components. Sekhar has this knack for putting a tune the place you least anticipate it, and making it really feel natural. His movies are uplifting, with sturdy music and a transparent message. Love Story addressed caste and gender whereas nonetheless entertaining. It made folks suppose. Kuberaa will do the identical.”

Love Story marked a turning level for Naga Chaitanya, whose emotionally nuanced efficiency drew reward. In Kuberaa, Nagarjuna performs a middle-class character named Deepak, reverse Dhanush’s beggar, Deva, and Jim Sarbh’s ultra-wealthy businessman. “The story unfolds between these three social strata and strikes an emotional chord,” he says. “The tune ‘Naadhi Naadhi’ encapsulates the narrative superbly.”

The function required Nagarjuna to each unlearn and relearn. There have been intensive discussions earlier than filming started, and on set, Sekhar would transient the actors not simply on the scene at hand but additionally on those previous and following it, to supply full context. “There have been moments when Sekhar would say, ‘I don’t need to see confidence in your eyes, tone it down.’ For an additional scene, he informed me to let the tragedy present by my eyes, as a result of my character is aware of the reality. These particulars made the efficiency really feel genuine.”

Jim Sarbh, Rashmika, Nagarjuna, and Dhanush within the movie
| Picture Credit score:
Particular Association

Nagarjuna remembers how Jim Sarbh shocked all the group along with his command over Telugu dialogue. “He was probably the most hard-working amongst us,” he says. “He doesn’t communicate a phrase of Telugu, but he delivered even the longer strains with the proper intonation.”

Unapologetic antagonist

Again in 1988–89, Nagarjuna labored on two vastly totally different movies in succession — Mani Ratnam’s romantic musical drama Geetanjali, adopted by Ram Gopal Varma’s gritty actioner Siva. A long time later, historical past repeats itself as he juggles between the emotionally grounded Kuberaa and Lokesh Kanagaraj’s high-octane motion entertainer Coolie, starring Rajinikanth.

He laughs on the distinction. “I’ve been switching between a middle-class character and a suave antagonist,” he says. “However each administrators, and their groups, create the proper atmosphere on set. Lokesh, for example, performs background music suited to every scene — it may very well be from Jailer or any Tamil, Telugu, even English movie. It helps everybody get into the temper immediately.”

Nagarjuna Akkineni
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Particular Association

In Coolie, Nagarjuna performs an antagonist with no room for introspection or redemption. “He’s an unapologetic, double alpha male,” Nagarjuna says. “However there aren’t any crass or crude scenes — it’s the character’s mindset that comes by. I loved enjoying the unhealthy man who believes he’s the king of the world and can take what he desires. When you might have a protagonist like Rajinikanth, it’s important to have a formidable antagonist.”

a hundredth movie

Nagarjuna will quickly start work on his a hundredth movie. With over 4 many years within the business, he believes staying related means maintaining tempo with altering viewers preferences. “It’s the youthful era that’s going to cinemas. We have to perceive what appeals to them and current it in a manner that resonates. I can not come throughout as somebody lecturing them. If I query why they’re glued to their telephones or keep up all night time, they gained’t pay attention. Both I adapt to attach with them or I step apart.”

He observes that audiences at the moment are discerning about what they need to watch in cinemas versus on digital platforms. “Some movies are doing exceptionally nicely whereas others are tanking. The disparity is stark. Take Court, for example — not a big-budget movie, but it did very nicely due to its sturdy drama.”

The actor has seen the business face existential questions thrice in his profession — whether or not in the course of the introduction of tv, the shift from movie to digital, or now with OTT platforms. Whereas acknowledging actual challenges corresponding to shorter theatrical home windows and piracy, Nagarjuna stays optimistic. “If a movie is nicely made, the theatrical expertise continues to be unmatched. New expertise will solely improve that. The sort of viewing expertise that’s coming to cinemas merely can’t be recreated at residence.”

Talking of the communal pleasure of watching movies on the large display, he provides an instance. “I watched Pushpa 2at residence and once more within the cinema. It was enjoyable within the theatre, however boring at residence. It’s like watching a cricket match alone versus being in a stadium — cheering, feeling the thrill construct. That environment makes all of the distinction.”