Puri Jagannadh director of Liger says that it is not a regional story

• Puri Jagannadh asserts that his most recent release, “Liger,” about the ascent of an underdog, is a universal tale.
• And that it is the “perfect time” to make a pan-Indian film.
• This was the first pan-Indian release for both the director and the actor, and it was supported by his brand.

Puri Jagannadh asserts that his most recent release, “Liger,” about the ascent of an underdog, is a universal tale. And that it is the “perfect time” to make a pan-Indian film.
The Telugu-Hindi sports drama, which stars Vijay Deverakonda, was launched in theatres on Thursday in the following languages: Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, and Malayalam.

Jagannadh claimed that he had contacted Deverakonda, the star of Telugu movies like “Arjun Reddy” and “Geetha Govindam,” with the “Liger” script back in 2019.

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This was the first pan-Indian release for both the director and the actor, and it was supported by his brand Puri Connects and Dharma Productions.

“I am happy that ‘Liger’ occurred. The ideal time to be here is right now since there are so many cultural exchanges taking on. Nowadays, the audience connects with any good story. Our movie is more than just a local tale.

“It is a universal story about the rise of an underdog. This can be watched in any language. That’s when we thought of making it as a pan-India movie with Vijay,” the filmmaker said in an interview here.

Jagannadh said he now wishes to reconcile with his idol Amitabh Bachchan after making his Bollywood debut in the 2004 movie “Shart: The Challenge.” In 2011, he worked with the seasoned actor on the film “Bbuddah… Hoga Terra Baap.”
The 55-year-old director claimed that he had been eager to helm a Hindi-language film for some time but had been prevented from doing so by obligations in the south.

“I wanted to come here and direct a movie long back. After ‘Bbuddah… Hoga Terra Baap’ I signed a movie with Mahesh Babu, NTR Jr and others, and I got stuck there. I was waiting to come here but I had prior commitments in Telugu cinema.

“Now, I want to direct a film here and work with my favourite actor Amitabh Bachchan, he is my childhood hero and then (with) all the Khans,” he added

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Jagannadh congratulated the actor for mastering both the stammer and the combat scenes, for which he trained in Thailand for a month with stuntman Kecha.

“I was not worried about the fight sequences. Vijay did it all really well including the stammering part. When you show deformity of any kind, we were sure we would not like to show the character in a sympathetic way. The character is strong and powerful,” he said.

The director further revealed that Janhvi Kapoor was the first choice for ‘Liger’ but she was unable to come on board due to scheduling conflicts. Later, Ananya Panday was roped in to play the female lead.

“I am a big fan of Sridevi and that’s why I wanted to do this (film) with Jahnvi but things didn’t work out due to date issues. I will work with her someday,” he added.