'Dragon' director calls film his 'biggest attempt at patriotic movie'
What's the story
Acclaimed filmmaker Prashanth Neel has called his upcoming film Dragon, starring NTR Jr, his "biggest attempt at making a patriotic movie." In an interview with Variety, he revealed that the film will explore the historical and criminal backdrop of British colonial rule in India. The first look of Dragon was released on Tuesday, the eve of NTR's birthday, and has since garnered over 49 million views.
Film's premise
The film's premise and reshoot rumors
Neel explained that Dragon will delve into the British Empire's control over the opium trade in India, which was a key factor in their rule. The director also responded to reshoot speculation, saying, "They're just rumors. We never reshot a single scene till now." "The only reason we took some time off was because he wanted to be authentically fit for the movie without any CGI."
Character portrayal
NTR Jr's character is morally complex, similar to Pablo Escobar
In Dragon, NTR Jr plays Luger, an assassin trained to be the chief enforcer for the Afghan Trading Company. Neel described this character as his most morally complex creation yet, drawing parallels with Pablo Escobar's portrayal in Narcos. He said, "We are trying to portray a very, very negative character but a character that you understand why he's negative."
Emotional depth
How childhood influences Neel's films
Neel revealed that his own childhood has a significant influence on his films, including Dragon. He said, "My childhood basically becomes my biggest emotion in my movies," and "in Dragon also it is my biggest strength." He believes that character development is rooted in childhood and remains unchanged thereafter. The movie also stars Anil Kapoor, Biju Menon, and Rukmini Vasanth.
Career trajectory
What's next for the director?
After Dragon, Neel plans to move away from large-scale action films once previous obligations are met. He has been working on a mythological series for nearly two decades and wants to focus on it next. He also expressed interest in making a small, intimate drama, which he hasn't been able to do due to his current commitments. Meanwhile, the Salaar sequel will go into production as soon as Dragon wraps up.