Since the makers of the upcoming action entertainer 'Dragon' have been sharing glimpses of Jr NTR's lean look, his physical appearance has become one of the most talked-about topics among fans. As Jr NTR dons his new avatar as an assassin named Luger, director Prashanth Neel shared how difficult the transformation journey was for the actor.
The Look Test That Changed Everything
In a conversation with Galatta Plus, Prashanth Neel revealed that around one and a half years ago, they were preparing to start shooting. Before filming began, they conducted a look test with Jr NTR. After seeing the result, the director felt the actor could become slightly thinner for the assassin role. "I told him that if you became thinner for the role of the assassin, it would help," Prashanth shared.
Jr NTR Took the Transformation Extremely Seriously
According to the director, Jr NTR took the suggestion very seriously and became completely focused on the transformation. Prashanth Neel said Jr NTR stopped shooting for four months and fully concentrated on losing weight. The actor reportedly became very thin and pale during this period. "He didn't shoot for the next four months, and he lost about 15 kgs at one point. I asked him to stop many times in between because he started looking frail and became paler, but he didn't stop," he said.
The director also shared that Jr NTR's wife, mother, friends, and even members of his own team became upset after seeing the actor struggle physically. Prashanth Neel revealed that everybody blamed him for the drastic transformation, but he said Jr NTR pushed himself far beyond what was initially planned. "We were very worried. All the blame was put on me," he said.
He also confirmed that the actor worked with trainers and experts during the process. According to the director, Jr NTR's trainer arrived within 30 minutes after their discussion, and the transformation journey began the very next morning. Even though the shoot got delayed by a few months, the team was finally very happy with how Jr NTR looked as Luger in 'Dragon'.
Cast and Release
'Dragon' also features Anil Kapoor, Biju Menon, Khushbu Sundar, Guru Somasundaram, Rajeev Kanakala, and Ashutosh Rana among others. The film is highly anticipated by fans eager to see Jr NTR's new avatar.
