Exclusive! "It’s an honor and privilege to be associated with the Nandamuri legacy": Duniya Vijay on NBK107

The actor spoke about the experience of working with Telugu superstar Nandamuri Balakrishna and making his Telugu debut

Duniya Vijay

Duniya Vijay is quite a busy man at the moment. Buoyed by the success of his directorial debut Salaga Vijay has taken his second film (as a director) on floors with great gusto, in pursuit of creating a niche for himself in the industry. The new film, titled Bheema, marks his 28th outing as an actor and as the film treads on towards completion, Vijay is simultaneously shooting for his Telugu debut alongside the Nandamuri Balakrishna for a film tentatively titled NBK107.

NBK107 in true essence, looks to be a slick, high-octane action drama with superstar Nandamuri Balakrishna quite in his element. Duniya Vijay plays Musali Madugu Pratap Reddy, and as alluring the name of his character is, one can expect his role to be similarly intense and fitting to the story’s world. Vijay, being a bonafide fitness enthusiast and stunt man himself, has already drawn the attention of the Telugu audience for his swagger-filled look and a promising on-screen presence that will challenge their mighty hero. But the Salaga actor has remained humble through this exciting experience, stating that he is privileged to be around Balakrishna who, aside from his own personal successes as a long-reigning superstar, also carries the legacy of the legendary Nandamuri clan.

“One hears about legendary superstars like N.T. Rama Rao sir and his stature both as an actor and a statesman. So, when you work with Balakrishna sir, you are obviously honored to be associated with all the vast experience and legacy. And one sees Balayya carry that aura with him – not in a conscious manner but it is evident when you meet him because he is so loving and affectionate on sets. And magnanimous too. There’s great camaraderie on the sets with not just him but other cast members too. It has really been a dream-come-true kind of experience for me,” says Duniya Vijay.

And interestingly, Vijay seems to have come a full circle with this role as the antagonist, considering his acting journey began on a slightly similar note. Following brief stints in films like Ranga SSLC and Jogi, Vijay’s career took off in a completely different direction when Suri’s 2008 film Duniya launched him as a lead actor. Thanks to the niche that he owned and the interesting choices of roles that he managed to be a tad unconventional through the years but he was a bonafide “hero”, nevertheless.

“I suppose, initially, I just wanted to be a good actor but was particularly drawn to villain roles. Or I think I felt that I would be best as a villain on screen. But things changed and I became a hero so playing the bad guy in a high-profile Telugu film, after these many years, is a great deal for me. In a way, I feel I have come a full circle – also, most actors play villains initially in their career but it’s been the other way around in my case (laughs),” adds Vijay.

NBK107 also includes actors Shruti Haasan and Varalakshmi Sarathkumar with Thaman S. scoring the music.

"Prabhas is chilled out and super friendly," says Shruti Haasan, admires her Salaar director Prashanth Neel for his vision

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