Shreya Mukherjee (HINDUSTAN TIMES; January 21, 2020)

His screen presence is stellar, so is his acting prowess. He is suave, stylish and an exceptional dancer too. Allu Arjun has everything a star is made of. Besides tantrums. And he is humble and uncomplicated, the only other two aspects of his character that kind of shine brighter. So, as the outsider-insider debate rages on, he has no qualms in accepting that he is not “a self-made person”, and would not have made it if not for his father, Tollywood producer Allu Aravind.

“I can definitely never claim that I am a self-made person, because it’s not true and I completely accept it. Having a person from the family in the industry always helps. His (Allu Aravind’s) presence got me a break easily… That is a huge thing in your initial years. There is someone to help, support and most importantly, guide you through your mistakes. That’s an advantage, and I’m thankful I had that in my life during those developing years…,” he smiles.

But the star of Race Gurram (2014), Rudhramadevi (2015) and Naa Peru Surya, Naa Illu India (2018) explains once you’re in, everything depends on the person. “When the film is ready and releases in the theatre, I’m there on screen… My father or for that matter no one else will be able to perform, dance on my behalf or be with me to help me hold the interest of the audience. When the light goes off, in that darkness, on that screen I’ll have to impress the audience in the next three hours in my individual capacity… if they don’t accept me, my performance, my career goes nowhere. And I must continue doing the same… So in the long run, the initial push becomes a smaller factor,” elucidates the actor, who gets emotional talking about his father, especially the things he has learned.

“I get to learn so much every day… But one thing that’ll always stay with me is that he once told me, ‘Don’t think you have started off because you’ll never be started [especially in this profession]’,” says Allu, who is currently basking in the glory of the success of his latest Telugu family entertainer, Ala Vaikunthapurramloo.

And there are reports of the actor making his Bollywood debut soon, something his fans are looking forward to. The good news is that he is interested in doing a Hindi film, but to break your heart for the time being, nothing has been finalised yet.

“Let’s see when it happens,” he says, revealing the kind of films he would like to do in Bollywood. “I really liked Gully Boy (2019), I would love to do a film like that… I think in Bollywood, I would like to do a film strong on content which can be in any genre. Something on the lines of a Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (2013), because such a film will be the perfect alignment of content and my strength,” Allu adds in his inimitable style.

As he scores big with Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo, Telugu superstar Allu Arjun discusses his Bollywood dreams
Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; January 15, 2020)

"My fans are more than just fans, they are an army," declared Telugu superstar Allu Arjun at the music launch of his latest release, Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo, last week. A wave of cheer arose from the 10,000-strong crowd, gathered at the Yousufguda Police grounds in Hyderabad, on hearing his statement. The event, perhaps, was an apt barometer to gauge the actor's immense popularity — the fans, sporting t-shirts bearing his picture, broke into an applause every time he took to the mic.

As we sat down for a chat at a five-star the following day, Arjun expressed that grateful as he is for being able to make a mark in the Telugu industry, he is itching to widen his horizon. "I want to have pan-India appeal, for which I need to do a Bollywood film. It's a huge prospect for my growth as an actor. Having a Hindi movie in my filmography is important. Thanks to social media, people are now seeing everybody's work [irrespective of the language barrier]." Although Arjun has received offers, he has yet to find one that excites him. "It is about finding the right project and director. I don't want to rush into things."

For now, he is basking in the positive response that Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo has received. The action-comedy has him essaying a role far removed from his larger-than-life characters. "In mass entertainers, we tend to go over-the-top. But this time, I decided to keep my performance at an authentic level," he said of the film that has him share screen space with Tabu. When quizzed about the experience of working with her, he said, "We have known each other for many years. But to [witness] her talent on set was sheer pleasure."