Ram Charan in ‘Game Changer’ (left) and actor-politician Pawan Kalyan.
Nearly three years after RRR—where he punched a tiger in the face and also romanced Alia Bhatt in paltry flashbacks—Telugu star Ram Charan returned to Mumbai to promote his latest venture, Game Changer.
Directed by Southern maverick Shankar in his first Telugu outing, the film is a political action thriller featuring Ram Charan as an IAS officer. Bollywood actor Kiara Advani plays the female lead while S. J. Suryah and Anjali take pivotal turns. Positioned as the year’s first big Pan-India release, Game Changer, dubbed in Hindi,is being distributed in North India by AA Films and Zee Studios.
Ram Charan, who lives in Hyderabad but also owns a penthouse in Mumbai, greeted fans with a warm Namastey, looking sharp in tinted yellow shades and black ensemble. “I want to do movies faster,” Charan nodded, conceding the significant time gap between his projects. “I don’t know why it takes so much time.”
In Game Changer, Ram Nandan (Ram Charan), a tough, principled bureaucrat, comes in conflict with corrupt politicians. The actor has a dual role in the film, also portraying Ram Nandan’s father, Appanna. According to S. J. Suryah, who plays the evil Chief Minister, Ram Charan’s performance as Appanna is a highpoint of Game Changer.
“(Ram) has a great character, Appanna, who comes in flashback. It will steal all your hearts. He has done a fantastic job. I am getting goosebumps as I speak,” said SJ Suryah, calling Ram Charan a bada (huge) star of global relevance.
Discussing the film’s themes, SJ Suryah emphasised the need for a good and transparent political system in society. Almost on cue, a fan cried, “Pawan Kalyan!” The Telugu star—and Ram Charan’s uncle—witnessed a meteoric rise in politics and took office as the 11th Deputy Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh in June last year. He is expected to attend a grand pre-release event of Game Changer near Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh, today evening.
“What Pawan garu is doing on field, Ram Charan is doing as a collector in the movie,” SJ Suryah said.
Ram Charan, in his career, has collaborated with esteemed and visionary directors like SS Rajamouli, Sukumar and now Shankar. Asked about the commonalities and differences in Rajamouli and Shankar’s styles, Ram Charan proffered: “Both of them are taskmasters. Both expect a lot out of their actors. They give you every opportunity to perform and do your best. They keep pushing, always. There is not one day where you get time to relax.”
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On his first day of shoot, Ram Charan was having coffee with Shankar when the director suddenly perked up. “He started looking at my hair and told an assistant to fetch an iPad. Then he started touching (my hair), which is quite intimidating. He was making some finishing touches. It was only 5% different from what was on the image in the iPad. Even if he is working with Rajinikanth or Kamal Haasan or me, it doesn’t matter. He is so particular about his craft.”
Game Changer releases in theatres on December 10.
Published – January 04, 2025 03:11 pm IST
