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After the blazing success of RRR two years ago, southern superstar Jr NTR returns to the silver screen with his new pan-India star vehicle, Devara.
Joining him are Saif Ali Khan and Janhvi Kapoor, making their debut in Telugu cinema.
The lead star cast, along with Director Koratala Siva and Karan Johar, whose Dharma Productions presents the film in the Hindi market, came together to launch the hotly anticipated trailer in Mumbai on September 10.
At the event, Jr NTR expressed that he is feeling 'very nervous' about Devara as it marks his first solo outing in six years. The man, who goes by the moniker 'Man of Masses', delivered a solo smash hit with Aravinda Sametha Veera Raghava in 2018.
"There is a lot of nervousness, which is building up," the actor says in a firm and grounded voice.
"But I am very happy to launch Devara in the city of Mumbai. The experience we had when we were promoting for RRR was surreal. The acceptance of North has just shocked us all."
Each time the actor took a mic to address the media, there were cheers from the audience. It was a clear indication that this celebrated Telugu superstar has now transformed into nationwide sensation.
Saif Ali Khan praised the meteoric rise of Southern films and expressed that he felt like a newcomer on the sets of Devara.
"I remember my first shot speaking Telugu, and I had a bit of sweat running down my back. I felt nervous in a very different way. I come from the same country, but our states are different from one another. Going down there was a totally different experience," Saif says.
WATCH: Saif shares how Jr NTR made things comfortable for him during the Devara shoot
Saif revealed that both Jr NTR and Director Koratala Siva remembered his iconic role Langda Tyagi from Vishal Bhardwaj's 2006 film Omkara.
"I was excited to get offered a big movie like this. The future is going to be collaborations between the North and South. I think they had seen Omkara and remembered it. So I need to thank Vishal sir for this. This feels like my debut into a new kind of cinema," Saif says.
Clad in a golden sari, Janhvi Kapoor arrived on stage with a disclaimer that she will have to leave in "exactly 28 minutes" because she had to catch a flight.
"Honestly, this feels like a homecoming because Devara is my first Telugu film," Janhvi says with a smile.
"I want to do every single movie with Tarak sir," she adds, calling Jr NTR by his name (Taraka; he is named after his legendary grandfather Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao, the late movie thespian and founder of the Telugu Desam Party).
"Everyone knows what a big fan I have been of him and have become a bigger fan after having worked with him."
Karan Johar said he feels like a "proud papa" seeing Janhvi's performance in Devara and noted that keeping up with Jr NTR, especially his dance steps, was no easy feat.
The makers then showcased Hindi version of Devara's already chartbuster songs, Chuttamalle and Daavudi, which are composed by Anirudh Ravichander.
Koratala Siva compared Janhvi and Jr NTR's chemistry in the film to the iconic duo of NTR and Sridevi, who featured in numerous Telugu films in the 1970s and early 1980s.
"It comes out as after NTR sir and Sridevi ma'am's (chemistry), it is now Jr NTR and Janhvi," he notes.
Talking about his friendship with Jr NTR, Karan said the actor was 'gracious' to help him promote the Ranbir Kapoor starrer Brahmastra in 2022. Tarak's support, Karan added, boosted the film's business, particularly in the south.
"When he presented Brahmastra to everyone in Hyderabad, it was a big moment for us. Such a massive megastar going out of his way to speak of another film! He really impacted the box office of Brahmastra, even in the south. And for that, we are all eternally grateful," Karan fondly says looking at Jr NTR.
WATCH: Jr NTR reveals Karan Johar's reaction to Devara
Devara marks the second collaboration between Siva and Jr NTR after their 2016 film, Janatha Garage. The actor stated that he shares a great friendship with Siva, which started years ago on the sets of Brindavanam where Siva had served as a dialogue writer.
Speaking about Jr NTR's intense role in Devara, Siva says, "He is a very close friend of mine (but) once he is in front of the camera, I don't know why he suddenly changes his persona. Every time, for every shot, he just keeps staring at me."
WATCH: Jr NTR shares how he shot the most intense fight sequence in Devara
The event concluded with Jr NTR claiming that the last 40 minutes of Devara will "rock everyone". We'll find out when the film releases on September 27.
