Up close and personal with Vijay Deverakonda

The actor talks about missing being on sets, Liger, his husky Storm, OTT platforms and a lot more

From playing board games with his mom at home and sweating it out at the gym to chilling with his beautiful Husky Storm Deverakonda, actor Vijay Deverakonda has been regularly sharing his stay-at-home routine with his fans on social media. The superstar is finally ecstatic about being back on the sets to shoot for his much-awaited film Liger which is being directed by Puri Jagannadh. Starring actor Ananya Pandey, the pan India film is being jointly produced by Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions and Puri and Charmme Kaur’s Puri Connects production house. The actor opens up to Hyderabad Today about a lot of things…

Entry into Bollywood

Vijay headed to Mumbai to shoot for Liger, which marks his entry into Bollywood. Once he wraps up that, he will start working on his other projects – a film with Shiva Nirvana and another with Sukumar. Talking about shooting for Liger, he shares, “It is mad fun. I am enjoying being a part of this story, being on set every day with Puri and Ananya. It’s exciting and stimulating to me as an actor to be on the sets of this film – some sets are stressful and some sets are fun. This is definitely a good set to be on.”

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The project was announced last year, but due to Covid, it was delayed. “The first day, I was super excited and extremely nervous. My mind would be racing and I would be figuring out the scenes and characters late into the night. I would barely get three-four hours of sleep before getting to the sets. The character is really new for me, but it’s been great. We have already shot quite a bit of the film, almost 50 per cent. Liger is extremely special as we are taking it across the country,” shares Vijay, adding that he’s amazed at the progression he has made in his career from the time he started.

Back to sets

It’s a mix of nervousness and excitement to be back on the sets after the lockdown phase for the actor. On a lighter note, he says that he’s hoping he has not forgotten to act. “I cannot wait to shoot day and night and just sleep on the sets. I don’t even want to go back to the hotel. I’ve missed being on sets so much that I’ve told Puri, Charmme and Karan to make a rigorous shoot schedule for me. I have had too much rest due to the pandemic and I’m not looking forward to any more breaks,” shares Vijay.

Relaxed and rejuvenated

Since Vijay had a hectic few years; the lockdown period was a good break for him. “After two months, it started getting to me. I slept, ate, worked out, spent time with friends and family,” shares Vijay. The actor got home a husky named Storm. “He is amazing. He’s brought home a lot of joy in this lockdown phase. It’s relaxing to put everything aside and just go hug and play with him. It’s a sort of meditation – I don’t think of corona, work or any other problems when I’m with him,” shares Vijay.

OTT trend

Vijay’s brother Anand Deverakonda’s film Middle Class Melodies released on Amazon Prime a few months ago. Vijay watched the film and really liked it. So what does he have to say about the trend of films directly releasing on OTT platforms? “OTT platforms were super helpful for the audience and filmmakers in the lockdown period. They filled a void and kept a lot of us going in that dark phase. But, I guess that phase is over, no? Theatres are back with 100 per cent seating and things are looking bright,” he says.

Love for hip-hop

Vijay has teamed up with Kriti Sanon as the ambassadors for this year’s Breezer Vivid Shuffle, India’s biggest hip-hop festival. In its first digital edition that will kick-start from November 6, it has opened the floor to not just b-boys and b-girls, but also rappers, artistes and just about anybody who wants to make waves in India’s hip-hop scene. Talking about his association with the festival, Vijay, whose favourite hip-hop artistes are Kanye West, Jay-Z and Divine, says, “The biggest reason why I became a part of it is because of the platform it’s providing to youngsters. Even as a struggling actor, the one-two auditions that I would get would give me the hope to keep going. So I understand how much a platform means to artistes.”

No limitations

There is no doubt that Vijay is one of the most stylish actors in the film industry, but the actor says that he has no style. “I don’t like limitations when it comes to fashion. If I feel like hip-hop one day, the next day I might feel like dressing up like Japanese. My style is whatever the hell!” he concludes.

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