Appearing on the silver screen after the last disaster that was Officer, Nagarjuna is unfazed and confident. His upcoming film Devadas set to hit the theatres this Friday, has him certain about turning it around this time. Although he insists that this movie is all about Das (Nani) than about his role, his stardom and his charm sure is catching a lot of people’s eye. In a chat with Nagarjuna himself ahead of the release, he shares details about his character and a little bit about how he manages to stay young.
Excerpts:
Your character Deva in the movie seems to be that of a don. It’s been a while since you have done something like that...
Yes, it has been quite some time since I played a mobster. But the character itself in the movie doesn’t do anything that a don does. There’s no dealings or violence. It is based more on Nani and my friendship. And of course, there is a little romance as well.
Tell us about your lady love in the film.
His is a peculiar love story. Deva loves this news reader who he watches on the TV since he was in his younger years. Das, finds her, makes them meet and thus it leads to a love story.
Looks like Das has a lot of influence over Deva’s life.
Nani plays a doctor in the movie and I am his patient. That’s how we meet. Now Deva is a gangster who has no friends because everybody is afraid of him. He loves drinking but has no company. So, he threatens Das to be his friend and his drinking companion although the latter doesn’t drink (laughs)
Deva and Das clearly had to get along. How did you get along with Nani
I frankly did not know Nani well outside of work. But on set and on screen he is wonderful. Moreover he is easy to work with. I was extremely comfortable.
Are multistarrers your way to go now?
When you are my age, solo stories aren’t easy to come by. Multistarrers are easier too. I am doing a multistarrer with Dhanush in Telugu and Tamil as well. And Brahmastra in Hindi.
Speaking of age, it must be hard to keep up this energy at this age.
My age is 59, but I think like I'm 30. Everything is in the mind. Thinking this way makes my day better and keeps my energy high. The minute you start thinking about age, you feel the lethargy creeping in. I am very aware of my age. But, I refuse to believe I’m old. I am younger than Chay in my head.
What can the audience expect from your next outing?
Well, for the fans, there’s a lot of dance, fights and laughs from my end. They will enjoy that. Besides that, it has a very Munna Bhai MBBS, Raju Hirani vibe. It’s all entertainment.