Reasons Behind Dasari Narayana Rao’s Demise | Special Report

The first glimpse of Dragon has already taken the internet by storm, with fans going wild over Jr NTR’s intense and rugged transformation. Now, director Prashanth Neel has opened up about the shocking physical effort behind that powerful new look.

The makers released the teaser on May 20 to celebrate Jr NTR’s birthday, and the response has been massive ever since. While the glimpse itself created huge buzz, Neel’s recent revelations about the actor’s transformation have added even more excitement around the film.

Speaking to Galatta Plus, Prashanth Neel revealed that the idea for the makeover began during a look test conducted nearly one and a half years ago, before the shoot started. According to him, he simply suggested that Jr NTR lose a little weight so the assassin character would appear sharper on screen.

“I told him that if he became slightly leaner for the role, it would help,” Neel shared.

However, Jr NTR took the suggestion to an entirely different level. The actor reportedly paused shooting commitments for four months and underwent an intense fitness routine, eventually losing nearly 15 kilograms.

Neel admitted that the drastic transformation became a major concern for everyone around the star.

“He started looking very thin and pale at one point. I kept asking him to stop, but he wouldn’t,” the director said.

The filmmaker also revealed that Jr NTR’s family and close friends blamed him for the extreme weight loss.

“His wife was upset with me, his mother was upset with me, his friends were upset with me. Even my team was worried. But honestly, I only asked him to lose a little weight. He completely pushed himself,” Neel explained.

Despite the concerns, the transformation was carried out under professional supervision. Neel said Jr NTR immediately got serious after their discussion, with his trainer joining the process within minutes.

“His trainer arrived in the next 30 minutes, and the transformation journey started the very next morning. We even postponed the shoot by a few months, but in the end, we were extremely happy with the result,” he added.

With Dragon already generating massive hype, Jr NTR’s dedication and commitment to the role have now become one of the film’s biggest talking points.