Jr NTR reveals first half of 'Devara' was five hours long: 'Couldn't stop developing characters'

Jr NTR

The tide has shifted, and the waves are higher than ever in the Indian film industry, as two monumental projects - NTR Jr's 'Devara: Part 1' and Alia Bhatt's 'Jigra' - make headlines after a power-packed panel discussion aptly dubbed 'Devara Ka Jigra'. The event, already hailed as a blockbuster, gave audiences a rare peek behind the cinematic curtains, and what was revealed was nothing short of a sea change for Indian cinema.

The discussion, moderated by Karan Johar , brought together the three creative titans of the industry, and in a moment of profound insight, NTR Jr. revealed why Devara would now sail with two parts instead of one. Launching into the story of how it all started NTR Jr said, "We never thought that we are going to make this movie in two parts. I said 'Siva don't stop just keep writing' because there are so many characters."

Jr NTR reveals why Devara has been made in two parts

The decision to split the film wasn't made lightly. According to NTR Jr., as the team dove deeper into the storyline, the layers of emotion, action, and drama kept unfolding. He revealed, "There some characters which we couldn't stop developing. So woh develop hote gaya hote gaya... By the time we finished our first half, we already got in five hours."

He added, "Because we didn't realise, we just fell in love with that movie. I was like 'No, we need to check ourselves, stop it. Let's write our story, let's finish our story. Let's where, how and what we can cut, chuck or redevelop.' It was a very conscious decision (to have Part 2)."

Karan Johar impressed after watching ‘Devara: Part 1'

Karan Johar, a blockbuster juggernaut for over three decades, was particularly struck by the NTR Jr starrer. He shared, "I went to Hyderabad - Anil (Thadani) and me, and you know we met Apoorva (Mehta) and we saw 30 - 40 minutes of the (film's) material, and I was kind of blown away because it's a totally different world that he's taken us to. That world is new, it's totally new. But there are elements that are so impactful when you see it."

Johar's words were waves of praise, as he further added, "Every time he faces the camera as Devara, there is this kind of magic that just happens. I felt like I've seen all your work, and I felt like with (Koratala) Siva, there is something special. There is something that he taps into you. There is something that comes right out, and I've seen that in Janatha Garage and saw that again in Devara."

'Devara: Part 1' is set for release on September 27, 2024. The film is directed by Koratala Siva and produced by Yuvasudha Arts and NTR Arts, with presentation by Nandamuri Kalyan Ram. Alongside NTR Jr. and Janhvi Kapoor, the film features Saif Ali Khan in a key role.