Last Updated:
Incidentally, Boney Kapoor’s daughter Janhvi Kapoor recently starred alongside Jr NTR in Koratala Siva’s Devara: Part 1.
Boney Kapoor, Jr NTR and Siddharth. (L-R)
The year 2024 saw Telugu and Malayalam cinema thriving while Bollywood struggled to make its mark. Among the top five highest-grossing Indian films of the year, Telugu blockbusters Pushpa 2: The Rule, Kalki 2898 AD and Devara: Part 1 dominated, leaving Bollywood with only Stree 2 in the mix. Against this backdrop, a lively discussion unfolded during a recent Galatta Plus roundtable, where leading producers analysed the current state of Indian cinema.
During the conversation, veteran Bollywood producer Boney Kapoor cited the universal appeal of good cinema by referencing K Balachander’s 1981 classic Ek Duuje Ke Liye. When actor Siddharth asked whether a new face and director would find similar acceptance in today’s Hindi-speaking regions, Boney responded, “Yes, why has Adi(tya) Chopra taken Tarak (Jr NTR) for his film (War 2)?”
Producer Naga Vamsi burst into laughter, clarifying that Jr NTR was far from being a “new face.” Siddharth elaborated, saying, “You are talking about the biggest superstar of this (south) industry working with the biggest superstar (Hrithik Roshan) of this (north) industry, working with the biggest producer in India.”
Incidentally, Boney Kapoor’s daughter Janhvi Kapoor recently starred alongside Jr NTR in Koratala Siva’s Devara: Part 1. The film also featured Saif Ali Khan, Prakash Raj, Srikanth and Shine Tom Chacko in pivotal roles. Grossing Rs 421 crore worldwide, Devara cemented Jr NTR’s box office prowess.
In its review of Devara: Part 1, Showsha stated, “Devara Part 1 starts strong, with the first half of the film setting up a brilliant premise for an epic of sorts. The first half of Devara Part 1 has many semblances of Shakespearean tragedy, Julius Caesar. Despite its shortcomings in the second half, Devara Part 1 manages to be an entertaining watch thanks to Jr NTR’s terrific screen presence.”
