For many years in the industry, Jr NTR had earned the tag of being an under-utilised actor. There were no doubts about his potential but not many filmmakers excepting VV Vinayak or Rajamouli, had given him the right material that could exploit his abilities to the fullest in the initial years. However, the kind of turnaround that he has had from Temper to Nannaku Prematho to Janatha Garage and more recently Aravinda Sametha, have pushed his limits and the films have served as a great showcase of Jr NTR as a versatile actor beyond the star.
RRR isn’t only the biggest project of Jr NTR in his entire career, it also coincides with the time where the actor in him is in the form of his life. And who better than SS Rajamouli to mould him again, the very filmmaker who tapped into the raw potential of an actor when the tide wasn’t swinging in his favour after his debut? In RRR, Jr NTR has the perfect physique and body language to go with a historical character like Komaram Bheem and coupled with the excitement surrounding his dialogue delivery in the Telangana slang, it’s every reason why RRR could be an extremely special film for him.
His upcoming projects beyond RRR – in the safe hands of an ever-dependable Trivikram and Prashanth Neel, augur well for the star. Trivikram has given some of his most memorable films for Allu Arjun, Pawan Kalyan, Nithiin and Mahesh Babu through his career where the stars got immense scope to present their all-around capabilities. And with Aravinda Sametha too, Trivikram showed how Jr NTR is a master at on-screen subtlety, be it his controlled aggression a.l.a a chained tiger or his underplayed dialogue delivery. This time around, it’ll be interesting to see if Trivikram captures Jr NTR’s knack for comedy too. Don’t we all still cherish his terrific comic timing in Adhurs?
Whereas in Jr NTR’s project where he unites with Prashanth Neel, sky is indeed the limit. It is just the classy action film that every star so desperately waits through his career. Could this be that big-ticket film to maximise his reach as a pan-Indian actor? Or would RRR do that already? The fans of the star are more curious and excited than ever before.