King Nagarjuna is known for encouraging new talents in the industry. In his career spanning over three decades, Nagarjuna tried various genres and tasted success almost every time he tried a new subject. In his career, Nagarjuna introduced more than 40 filmmakers, and Ram Gopal Varma(RGV), who made game-changer ‘Shiva’ was one of them.
Nagarjuna has picked yet another interesting concept Wild Dog that traces the NIA’s secret mission to eradicate the Terrorists involved in a series of bomb attacks. Wild Dog is directed by Ashishor Solomon and produced by Matinee Entertainment.
With the release date fast approaching, Nagarjuna has intensified the promotional activities. Wild Dog is slated for a grand release on April 2nd. Here are some of the excerpts from an exclusive interview of Nagarjuna.
The trailer has increased the expectations of the film. How confident are you?
Trailer is very important to any film. We took equal care on the trailer as we have taken for the film. These days, the audience is deciding if or not to watch a film based on the trailer. We had 3-4 cuts and finalized on this one. The trailer definitely increased the hype of the film.
This film is loaded with so much action?
This film needs that. It needs loads of ‘commercial’ action. It will not work out if there is no action. So we took special care and ensured that the action sequences have come well. This is a real story blended with a commercial angle.
You seem to have promoted the film so much this time?
Generally, I like to promote my films very much. This film needs even more. Wild Dog deserves the extra promotions since it is a new-age commercial film. We are attempting it for the first time. I am the only known face on the team. So, I took extra care to promote the film. I had to cut short my other film shoot for these promotions.
You Have Worked with 40 New Directors. How is it working with them?
Certainly, I will be anxious. But I believe newcomers can bring novelty into the stories. My characters will also be novel. I can not be repetitive. That is one of the reasons. I have bumped into failures as well. I am what I am today due to the new directors and novel subjects I try.
How did Wild Dog Happen?
This script was narrated in 2019 August. I wanted to complete it in 60 days. We started the shoot in December. We were to finish the shoot in Thailand, but it got delayed due to the Pandemic. We finished the rest of the film after the Lockdown. Wild Dog will be only of the notable roles in my career and I am very confident of the result. It is a very powerful character.
Will This Film Be Seen by Family Audience?
The female audience prefers males who are as powerful as Wild Dog. We had similar doubts about the family audience during the Shiva release as well. But they enjoyed it more due to the violence. I believe it will happen with Wild Dog as well.
What character are you playing in Wild Dog?
I play ACP Vijay Varma who leads a team in NIA. He is a good father, good husband, good officer, and a good team leader. He does everything and anything for the country. He enters NIA to serve the country and he believes Terrorism unstable in the country. His only aim is to eliminate terrorists. He believes they should be eliminated without arrests. He takes his wife’s permission while going on any mission because he may never come back. I like to be ACP Vijay Varma, who does everything to achieve something.
Is there Any Inspiration for this Character?
I did not meet any real officers, but Solomon did a lot of research. He even met a Major who participated in the Surgical Strike. He is on the set to guide us to keep the proceedings as authentic as possible. Seventeen blasts happen in the country, including twin blasts in Hyderabad. It will be gripping enough to see the blasts happening while the investigation happens.
Is it not risky to attempt so much action at this age?
Why? I am just 31 (Laughs). Jokes apart, I am a fitness freak and would love to do it. Yes, there were some issues because we had to walk on uneven terrain in Himachal Pradesh. The body would complain at the end of the day. I trained with Hollywood Stunt Director David Simon to handle the weapons and other action sequences.
Tell us about Brahmastra and your role?
I can not say much about Brahmastra. They are making it as a trilogy. We completed the first part. My role is very powerful and will last around 30 minutes. It will be one of the best characters in my career.
Are you doing a film with Akhil as your 100th film?
I am making all possible calculations and would ensure a hit film becomes my 100th film (laughs). I have a film with Kalyan Krishna (Bangarraju). I want to do an action film with Akhil. We will see. I am working with Praveen Sattaru and Akhil will have to begin the Surender Reddy film.
About your next film with Praveen Sattaru
It is an out-and-out action film. It is a different genre of action film. Praveen Sattaru’s film will be completed by July. We will look for a convenient slot for the release. I will start Bangarraju if a Sankranthi release is possible.
Finally, what are you going to tell your fans about Wild Dog?
My fans have been asking me to do a commercial film for a long time. Wild Dog is such a film. You will like it very much. You will feel proud your fav
