Vijay Deverakonda says Arjun Reddy will always be attached to him, like Titanic is to Leonardo DiCaprio

Hindustan Times

08-07-2025

Actor Vijay Deverakonda made his acting debut with the Telugu film Nuvvila, but rose to fame with Sandeep Reddy Vanga's Arjun Reddy. The film brought him widespread recognition, and many fans still remember him for that role. In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, Vijay revealed that he no longer wants people to forget Arjun Reddy, and is instead focused on making more good films now. Vijay Deverakonda's still from Arjun Reddy.
Vijay Deverakonda says he no longer wants people to forget Arjun Reddy
When asked whether people have forgotten Arjun Reddy, Vijay recalled a recent visit to a friend's house where some guests came specifically to meet him because they loved the film. He said, "It's a good thing. I used to fight it for the longest time because I was under the impression that I had to do something better to surpass it, and I wanted people to forget Arjun Reddy. But recently, I came to terms with the fact that it's a film that will always be loved, and maybe the goal is not to do work that makes people forget it."
He added, "Like, I will always remember Leonardo DiCaprio's Titanic, but that doesn't mean he cannot or will not do other good work. But he will always be attached to it. So people can have that kind of relationship with me and their fondness for me because of Arjun Reddy. So I have left that battle aside, and now the goal is to make good films. It's not about making people forget Arjun Reddy, but giving them other memorable films that they also enjoy and that add to the list."
Vijay portrayed the role of a self-destructive, short-tempered, and alcoholic surgeon in Arjun Reddy, which also featured Shalini Pandey in the lead role, alongside Rahul Ramakrishna, Jia Sharma, Sanjay Swaroop, Gopinath Bhat, Kamal Kamaraju, and Kanchana in supporting roles. The film received criticism for promoting toxic masculinity, misogyny, and substance abuse, but emerged as a commercial success at the box office, earning ₹51 crore worldwide.
Vijay Deverakonda's upcoming film, Kingdom
Vijay will next be seen in Gowtam Tinnanuri's Kingdom. The action thriller also stars Satyadev, Bhagyashri Borse, and Koushik Mahata in key roles. The film is scheduled to release in theatres on July 31.