After
the
blazing
success
of
RRR
two
years
ago,
southern
superstar
Jr
NTR
returns
to
the
silver
screen
with
his
new
pan-India
star
vehicle,
Devara.
Joining
him
are
Saif
Ali
Khan
and
Janhvi
Kapoor,
making
their
debut
in
Telugu
cinema.
The
lead
star
cast,
along
with
Director
Koratala
Siva
and
Karan
Johar,
whose
Dharma
Productions
presents
the
film
in
the
Hindi
market,
came
together
to
launch
the
hotly
anticipated
trailer
in
Mumbai
on
September
10.
At
the
event,
Jr
NTR
expressed
that
he
is
feeling
‘very
nervous’
about
Devara
as
it
marks
his
first
solo
outing
in
six
years.
The
man,
who
goes
by
the
moniker
‘Man
of
Masses’,
delivered
a
solo
smash
hit
with
Aravinda
Sametha
Veera
Raghava
in
2018.
“There
is
a
lot
of
nervousness,
which
is
building
up,”
the
actor
says
in
a
firm
and
grounded
voice.
“But
I
am
very
happy
to
launch
Devara
in
the
city
of
Mumbai.
The
experience
we
had
when
we
were
promoting
for
RRR
was
surreal.
The
acceptance
of
North
has
just
shocked
us
all.”
Each
time
the
actor
took
a
mic
to
address
the
media,
there
were
cheers
from
the
audience.
It
was
a
clear
indication
that
this
celebrated
Telugu
superstar
has
now
transformed
into
nationwide
sensation.
Saif
Ali
Khan
praised
the
meteoric
rise
of
Southern
films
and
expressed
that
he
felt
like
a
newcomer
on
the
sets
of
Devara.
“I
remember
my
first
shot
speaking
Telugu,
and
I
had
a
bit
of
sweat
running
down
my
back.
I
felt
nervous
in
a
very
different
way.
I
come
from
the
same
country,
but
our
states
are
different
from
one
another.
Going
down
there
was
a
totally
different
experience,”
Saif
says.
WATCH:
Saif
shares
how
Jr
NTR
made
things
comfortable
for
him
during
the
Devara
shoot
Saif
revealed
that
both
Jr
NTR
and
Director
Koratala
Siva
remembered
his
iconic
role
Langda
Tyagi
from
Vishal
Bhardwaj’s
2006
film
Omkara.
“I
was
excited
to
get
offered
a
big
movie
like
this.
The
future
is
going
to
be
collaborations
between
the
North
and
South.
I
think
they
had
seen
Omkara
and
remembered
it.
So
I
need
to
thank
Vishal
sir
for
this.
This
feels
like
my
debut
into
a
new
kind
of
cinema,”
Saif
says.
Clad
in
a
golden
sari,
Janhvi
Kapoor
arrived
on
stage
with
a
disclaimer
that
she
will
have
to
leave
in
“exactly
28
minutes”
because
she
had
to
catch
a
flight.
“Honestly,
this
feels
like
a
homecoming
because
Devara
is
my
first
Telugu
film,”
Janhvi
says
with
a
smile.
“I
want
to
do
every
single
movie
with
Tarak
sir,”
she
adds,
calling
Jr
NTR
by
his
name
(Taraka;
he
is
named
after
his
legendary
grandfather
Nandamuri
Taraka
Rama
Rao,
the
late
movie
thespian
and
founder
of
the
Telugu
Desam
Party).
“Everyone
knows
what
a
big
fan
I
have
been
of
him
and
have
become
a
bigger
fan
after
having
worked
with
him.”
Karan
Johar
said
he
feels
like
a
“proud
papa”
seeing
Janhvi’s
performance
in
Devara
and
noted
that
keeping
up
with
Jr
NTR,
especially
his
dance
steps,
was
no
easy
feat.
The
makers
then
showcased
Hindi
version
of
Devara‘s
already
chartbuster
songs,
Chuttamalle
and
Daavudi,
which
are
composed
by
Anirudh
Ravichander.
Koratala
Siva
compared
Janhvi
and
Jr
NTR’s
chemistry
in
the
film
to
the
iconic
duo
of
NTR
and
Sridevi,
who
featured
in
numerous
Telugu
films
in
the
1970s
and
early
1980s.
“It
comes
out
as
after
NTR
sir
and
Sridevi
ma’am’s
(chemistry),
it
is
now
Jr
NTR
and
Janhvi,”
he
notes.
Talking
about
his
friendship
with
Jr
NTR,
Karan
said
the
actor
was
‘gracious’
to
help
him
promote
the
Ranbir
Kapoor
starrer
Brahmastra
in
2022.
Tarak’s
support,
Karan
added,
boosted
the
film’s
business,
particularly
in
the
south.
“When
he
presented
Brahmastra
to
everyone
in
Hyderabad,
it
was
a
big
moment
for
us.
Such
a
massive
megastar
going
out
of
his
way
to
speak
of
another
film!
He
really
impacted
the
box
office
of
Brahmastra,
even
in
the
south.
And
for
that,
we
are
all
eternally
grateful,”
Karan
fondly
says
looking
at
Jr
NTR.
WATCH:
Jr
NTR
reveals
Karan
Johar’s
reaction
to
Devara
Devara
marks
the
second
collaboration
between
Siva
and
Jr
NTR
after
their
2016
film,
Janatha
Garage.
The
actor
stated
that
he
shares
a
great
friendship
with
Siva,
which
started
years
ago
on
the
sets
of
Brindavanam
where
Siva
had
served
as
a
dialogue
writer.
Speaking
about
Jr
NTR’s
intense
role
in
Devara,
Siva
says,
“He
is
a
very
close
friend
of
mine
(but)
once
he
is
in
front
of
the
camera,
I
don’t
know
why
he
suddenly
changes
his
persona.
Every
time,
for
every
shot,
he
just
keeps
staring
at
me.”
WATCH:
Jr
NTR
shares
how
he
shot
the
most
intense
fight
sequence
in
Devara
The
event
concluded
with
Jr
NTR
claiming
that
the
last
40
minutes
of
Devara
will
“rock
everyone”.
We’ll
find
out
when
the
film
releases
on
September
27.
