Vijay Deverakonda – Star, Thinker And Great Actor

The name Vijay Deverakonda rings in the theatres, in the hearts of millions in the South and also in cities like Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata today as a familiar name of Indian cinema.  The huge flexies and the movie posters covering long stretches of road with Vijay’s movies are a result of a long arduous path which the man with a million dollar smile took, right from his theatre days in Hyderabad.

The story of success of Vijay Deverakonda is a story to know, not only for his fans and ‘rowdys,‘ as he likes his admirers to be called, but also for anyone struggling to come up in their chosen field.

How did the guy who was educated in a closed atmosphere like the Satya Sai Group of Schools in Puttaparthi develop the outlook of a mature human being in cinema?  His interviews show him as a guy who lives a non starry life with a superstar status.

Vijay Deverakonda has been the torchbearer of a new wave of actors, who toil hard through the din and bustle of film industry, starting from playing minor roles to achieving the status of a star.

The Deverakonda Story: Genesis

Vijay often talks about the role of education in his life, which had a deciding impact in shaping his philosophy and made him the braveheart he is now.  Vijay started taking baby steps in realising his dream at a drama school in Hyderabad, where he honed his already nascent skills as an actor. Vijay mentioned in many of his interviews about the debt he owes to the rigorous schedule at this school of drama.

The insanely good looking man was cast as a part of an ensemble group of youngsters in Sekhar Kammula’s Life Is Beautiful.  He followed it up after years of struggle, with a like minded filmmaker, Tharun Bhascker Dhaassyam, for the director’s coming of age drama, Pelli Choopulu (2016.)

Vijay Deverakonda played the role of a happy go lucky guy who fears failure and does not realise his hidden capabilities.  The movie won three National Film Awards for its dialogues, screenplay and as the Best Telugu Movie of 2016.

Pelli Choopulu was, in a way, symbolic of the choices Vijay was going to take in his later years, as a mature man who could judge a script not by its director or banner, but on the basis of the storyline and characters.

Vijay’s triumph and his trump card till date came in 2017 with Arjun Reddy, the Sandeep Reddy Vanga movie which portrayed a highly problematic youth embroiled in anger issues.  The film and his role of Arjun gained a cult status for the way he portrayed the multi layered role of a responsible doctor, whose personal life is strewn with a love failure.

The movie catapulted Vijay Deverakonda to the status of a star.  He became the symbol of a new generation icon, who takes up roles which are unconventional and chisels them with his artistry.  Thanks to the age of social media and online web content, his Arjun Reddy was seen across India, which made him a heartthrob of people, mostly the youth.

The versatility factor: Vijay’s later roles

Vijay then followed it up with a breezy love story, Geetha Govindam, which was more of an entertainer with a cute love story.  The movie sealed his place as a youth icon in the South, with people of Tamil Nadu crowning him with the title ‘Ilaya Thalapathi’ (the Youth Leader.)

Vijay paid the debt with a straight Tamil movie, this time a political one—NOTA, which explored the serious side of his acting skills.  He played a brash politician in NOTA, who learns the tricks of the trade as he gets the reins of state administration.

NOTA too portrayed Vijay’s image as a youth icon, who, in the role of a Chief Minister, solves the problems of his state, with smart tactics and thought.  Now, the man is playing a rebellious student leader in his to be released movie, Dear Comrade.  The trailer of the movie presents him as a man who lives life as it greets him.

Vijay is here to stay and intends to tell many untold stories.  The youth icon image, which he carries lightly on those shoulders, teaches a thing or two about his persona, as he summed up in one of his interviews, “My job is to act and tell stories. Not to be liked by people (sic.)”

Well, the above words sum up Vijay’s character and maturity levels as a performing artist, don’t they?

Vijay Deverakonda, rock it and tell your stories!  We are waiting to listen!