Jr NTR Birthday: 5 Films Rejected By The Actor Which Became Superhits

Telugu star Jr NTR is celebrating his 40th birthday today. He has made a name for himself in the film industry with several superhits over the past 22 years. He started his career with the 2001 film Ninnu Choodalani and ever since he has displayed the ability to portray a variety of roles on the silver screen. His most recent outing, RRR, received love and appreciation from fans not only in India, but abroad also. Several Hollywood directors lauded the filmmaker SS Rajamouli and actors Ram Charan and Jr NTR for doing a phenomenal job.

While Jr NTR has surely been the face of several Telugu blockbusters, he rejected a few films which went on to become superhits. Here is a list of hit movies rejected by Jr NTR:

Dil

First on the list is the 2003 film, Dil. It was directed by VV Vinayak and produced by debutant Raju. The movie became a hit with actor Nithiin as the protagonist, but the role was first offered to Jr NTR. According to reports, Jr NTR could not accept this project as he was trying for something different. The actor wanted to break the monotony of his on-screen characters and was in search of different kinds of roles.

Arya

Who can forget one of Telugu cinema’s most romantic films Arya? The 2004 blockbuster made Allu Arjun a superstar overnight, but the role was initially offered to Jr NTR. Later, the actor was rejected for undisclosed reasons and the film went on to become one of the most iconic and award-winning movies of the Pushpa star.

Kick

Jr NTR was offered to play the role of a never-before-seen avatar in the 2009 film Kick but he rejected the role as he did not believe the movie would become a hit, which then went to Ravi Teja. However, contrary to Jr NTR’s prediction, the movie was a massive success and people were delighted to see Ravi Teja’s comical side.

Srimanthudu

Directed by Koratala Siva and starring Mahesh Babu, Srimanthudu (2015) was a delight to watch for Telugu movie fans. But, even before Mahesh Babu got the role, it was offered to Jr NTR who himself revealed later that he rejected it.

Oopiri

The Telugu adaptation of The Intouchables, Oopiri (2016), was directed by Vamshi Paidipally and starred Nagarjuna and Karthi in the lead role. Karthi’s role in the film was first offered to Jr NTR, but he reportedly found the scene of him touching Nagarjuna’s feet problematic and thought that the fans may not like it. He therefore rejected the role and it eventually went to Karthi.