Nagarjuna: I’m very much around and a competition for my sons

Nagarjuna talks about the changes in family since Nagachaitanya and Samantha Ruth Prabhu’s wedding.

Nagarjuna Akkineni’s charm is as envious as ever. He is like that old wine which is only getting better with age. Even today, his market value is higher than his sons, Naga Chaitanya and Akhil. After wrapping up Raju Gari Gadhi 2 with Samantha Ruth Prabhu and receiving immense love for the comedy horror, Nagarjuna is gearing up for Ram Gopal Varma’s upcoming project which unites the actor-director duo after a gap of more than two decades.

However, the actor agrees that he did not say yes to the project instantly. On being asked what convinced him to be a part of this RGV film, Nagarjuna said, “Well, going by his recent works, I shoudn’t have (laughs). In fact, when he first came to me three months ago, I very clearly and explicitly told him to go back and work on the script and come back later, and not do two other films while waiting for my consent. Rather he should put all his other projects and ideas away and just focus on my film. That was my condition for agreeing to do his film.”

He continued that RGV reworked on the script and did not take up anything till he gave a nod to the project. “Oh yes. He set everything else aside and worked on the script and came back to me. That’s when I said yes. I feel Ramu has been doing too much work and a lot of it is inconsequential and irrelevant. He has been way too scattered in recent years. But I feel this film will bring him back to his ‘Shiva’ days,” quips the Raju Gari Gadhi 2 actor.

Giving more details on the project, Nagarjuna said, “We will shoot for ten days, and then take a break. My younger son Akhil’s film ‘Hello’ is releasing. I need to look into the post-production and marketing. I’m the film’s producer. I’ve never been more nervous about any of my films.”

Further he spoke about life after Naga Chaitanya’s wedding with Samantha Ruth Prabhu. Saying that nothing has changed within the family, Nagarjuna answered, “I’ve known Sam for so long. She has been a part of our family long before the marriage. We’ve been fond of her from a very long time. The only difference is, she called me Nag sir earlier. Now she calls me Babai.”

When asked if he feels his presence is a problem for their careers? “Of course, it is. I am very much around. So all three of us are competitors now (laughs). In fact, I start shooting my new film with Ram Gopal Varma in two weeks’ time.”