Vijay Devarakonda: “I’ve Moved On A Long Time Ago From Arjun Reddy”

With Shahid Kapoor doing what looks like an encore of Vijay Deverakonda ‘s Arjun ‘Rowdy’ Reddy Act from the Telugu original, there is a clamour for audiences across India to see what the original had done in comparison with the remake.

Suddenly non-Telugu speaking audiences want to know who Vijay Deverakonda is and what was his take on the obnoxious alcoholic doctor-loverboy’s role that Vijay portrayed with such spectacular success in Arjun Reddy in 2017.And now Shahid Kapoor has done what looks like a carbon copy of Vijay in Kabir Singh.

Says Vijay, “I haven’t yet seen Kabir Singh. I was shooting in France I came back to Hyderabad just a couple of days ago and have been down with a viral fever since then. But I will catch it soon. I’m most curious to see what my friend (director) Sandeep Vanga has done with the original story in the remake.’

Vijay confesses doing the remake was never an option for him. “I did what I had to do and what I could do with the character. There was nothing more I could do with Arjun Reddy. I am glad he passed on into the hands of Shahid Kapoor . I am sure Shahid, being the actor that he is, must have given his own twist to the character.”

To Vijay, repetition is death. “I can never do a remake. I wouldn’t know what to do with it. I truly admire actors who do the same story in two or more languages.”

Since Arjun Reddy Vijay has been a part of such successful films as Geetha Govindham, Nota and Taxiwala. Vijay is now looking forward to the release of his next film Dear Comrade.

“We’ve all poured our heart and soul into it. Dear Comrade is a completely different world from Arjun Reddy,” says Vijay.