Jr NTR praises Saif Ali Khan's performance in Devara: 'Reminded me of Omkara'

Telugu star Jr NTR is set to return to the big screen after a two-year hiatus, with his upcoming film Devara. In a recent interview, the actor spoke about the pressure he felt in choosing his next project after the massive success of SS Rajamouli's RRR.

He explained that he instantly fell in love with the story of Devara, the colourful, fantastical world Siva created and the depth of the characters that drew him to the project.

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Jr NTR shared that one of the unique aspects of Devara is the way Koratala Siva redefined the typical hero trope. “In commercial films, you often see heroes emerge from the downtrodden, leading with courage and fearlessness. But Siva has flipped that trope in Devara,” he explained. “The hero comes from a position of power and says that too much courage isn't good—some fear is necessary because responsibility comes from fear.”

Tarak emphasized how the message of the film resonated with him. “I was really impressed with the way Siva built an impactful message within this grand, over-the-top world. That’s what excited me. I knew this was the movie I wanted to do after RRR,” he said.

However, the project faced some challenges during production. Halfway through filming, editor Sreekar Prasad warned Jr NTR and Siva that the footage they had shot was already five hours long, which sent shockwaves through the team. “That’s when we realized we needed to stop and reassess the project. We had to focus on completing the story and understand what we truly needed for the film,” Tarak recalled.

Despite the challenge, Jr NTR justified the decision to split Devara into two parts. “I got excited watching Saif Sir’s character. When I saw the performance, I immediately went back to Omkara. He was outstanding in that movie, and I don't remember the last time I saw him so fabulous. And there are so many characters we couldn't stop from developing,” he added.

Devara is due in cinemas on September 27. 

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