Nagarjuna hints at Soggade Chinni Nayana sequel, says Oopiri shooting was hard

Actor Akkineni Nagarjuna, who essays the character of a quadriplegic bound to a wheelchair in upcoming Tamil-Telugu bilingual Oopiri, says the role took a heavy toll on him as it required him to sit at one place and emote. Talking about it, he said:

"An assistant director was appointed just to check if I was moving my hands or legs even slightly while on the wheelchair. If I did, they'd re-shoot the scene again, as many times as it required. It was extremely challenging, because at times my legs would go numb."

A remake of French drama The Intouchables, the film also stars actors Karthi and Tamannaah Bhatia. Explaining that the film is high on comedy and he won't reveal why he's bound to a wheelchair, Nagarjuna said:

"For the emotional scenes, I told the crew to tie my hands and legs so that they will not move at any cost. Unlike the original, this is high on comedy drama. It has been tailor-made to suit the sensibilities of Telugu and Tamil audiences."

In the film, Karthi plays Nagarjuna's personal caretaker, and the King actor said their relationship has been portrayed beautifully. Directed by Vamsi Paidipally, the film is slated for worldwide release on 5 March.

Nagarjuna also revealed that he will next team up with veteran filmmaker K. Raghavendra Rao for a Telugu devotional film.

"I play Baba Hathiram, a disciple of Lord Venkateswara Balaji in the film. Regular shooting stars from April."

He also hinted that that there will also be a sequel to his recent blockbuster Soggade Chinni Nayana and said:

"I'm not sure when the sequel will happen but we've already registered the title Bangarraju."

-- IANS