Probably the first thing that springs to mind when someone mentions Vijay Deverakonda in Arjun Reddy. And without a question, the 2017 blockbuster deserves the highest praise from the star’s fan base. But when you stop to think about it, it actually took the actor more than 5 years to become well-known.
Since the release of his first movie, Nuvvila in 2011, Vijay has been destined for greatness. And thanks to the 2016 love comedy Pelli Choopulu, the youngster without a godfather finally achieved success. It goes without saying that he then rose to the ranks with 2017’s cult favorite Arjun Reddy. Arjun Reddy may be linked with toxic masculinity, but it didn’t stop the actor from demonstrating his acting talent and refusing to be dismissed as another “mass” hero.
Most significantly, Vijay did not take the typical path to popularity as many other celebrity kids do. Although there were rumors regarding Vijay’s alleged relationship with Telangana CM KCR, the actor is still very much an outsider who has succeeded in the southern film business. Nearly every other day, articles are published about “nepotism” in Bollywood, but the Telugu film industry is also a fertile ground for the practice and is not far behind. It’s all in the family, from Jr. NTR to Rana Daggubatti, Prabhas, Mahesh Babu, Ram Charan, Varun Tej, Naga Chaitanya, and all the other stars of this age. It has always been.
Admit it or not, there are still movies starring these actors that we watch just because they kept getting opportunities because of their family name, despite the fact that many of them lived up to the hype and showed that they were performers at various points in their careers. Awards and criticism both have little impact on their career trajectory.
The fact that Vijay stands out as an illustration of an average young guy who, given the chance, is capable of considerably more than his classmates is significant given the current surge of “home” grown stars. Not to mention that Vijay’s first step toward fame, Yevade Subramanyam, was taken with Nani, a promising actor and one of the few actors in the select group of celebrities without godfathers. Soon after his 2008 acting debut Ashta Chamma, Nani undoubtedly set an example for the established actors.
