has in no way dampened his fans’ spirits. They continued to shower him with their love, and continue to do so. “I have done my share of bad films. Misjudgments on my part, I guess. But I have no regrets. What still amazes me is that people continued to support me in spite of these flops! My own kids would remark that a certain movie of mine had bored them. It’s embarrassing, but it’s all part of life,” he laughs. But when his movies hit the bull’s eye, they were thunderous successes. When dubbed in Tamil, they were equally successful and his Tamil fans increased manifold. However, the movie that elevated him to Super Star status was Ram Gopal Varma’s Shiva (1990). An out-and-out action flick, the movie’s success echoed all over the South. He had proved that he could play ‘soft’ roles as in Geetanjali and then, he proved he could stun us with his heroic stunts in Shiva. In his enviable and successful long innings, from Vikram to King, he’s seen the fine side and the seamy side of the industry, yet he loves it for the exciting place it is and the joy it has brought to his life. One movie that made quite an impact on his fans was the period film Annamaya [1997] in which he played Annamacharya, the legendary 15th century Telugu poet. It was a challenging role but he pulled it off with finesse and even garnered a National Award for his performance. But the biggest string of successes came to him in 2002, starting with the blockbuster Nuvvu Vasthavani. The five films that followed in quick succession (Ninne Premistha, Aazaadtoo, Santhosham, Manmadhudu and Shivamani) were also huge commercial successes, startling younger heroes who thought Nagarjuna’s time had passed! Mass movies Don and King that showed the actor in rather larger-than-life action roles, were also raving successes, leaving audiences gasping for breath as the end credits rolled. As his son Naga Chaitanya prepares to make a name for himself, Nagarjuna is beginning his next movie. “My son shall always have my blessings. I am sure he will do himself proud. As his father, everything he does, small or big, impresses me! He doesn’t have to work hard to make me swell with pride! I’m confident in him. He will soon be known for his performance, not merely because he is my son,” says the veteran actor. These are indeed wise words from one who once had to outgrow the shadow cast by his father’s colossal fame. Today, Nagarjuna is known for his own contribution to cinema, and he sincerely hopes that one day, his son will be equally famous. “But just because my son has started acting, that does not mean I must stop,” he adds with a twinkle in his eyes.
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MY SON SHALL ALWAYS HAVE MY BLESSiNGS. AS HiS FATHER, EVERYTHiNG HE DOES, SMALL OR BiG iMPRESSES ME!
Nagarjuna has not reached the plateau of his cinematic journey. Even after more than 20 years of acting, he still approaches every new movie with the same enthusiasm that drove him as a novice. There is no end for creative pursuit - that pretty much sums up Nagarjuna’s celluloid aspirations - they are endless and he is unstoppable! Galatta Cinema always features actors, directors, technicians and those involved with the South Indian film industry who with their relentless hardwork, dedication and constant effort to bring something new to cinema have carved a niche for themselves. You can read more about these superstars on www.galatta.com. G C
Galatta Cinema | September 2009 57