On a balmy summer afternoon, with barely three days to go before the release of his new Telugu film Family Star, Vijay Deverakonda is a picture of calm. In a conversation with The Hindu at the film’s production office in Hyderabad, he reveals that at least 50 people known to the producer, the director and his own family members have watched the film, and there is an air of cheer and confidence. He has watched only the first half and his focus is now solely on promoting the film.
One of the first video promos of Family Star summed up the essence of Vijay’s character, a combination of a family man and a star who flexes his muscles. The initial title in consideration, however, was different. “The original title was the hero’s name, Govardhan. In real life, this is my father’s name. In the film, the grandfather passes on this name to my character and believes that the boy can shoulder the family responsibilities,” says Vijay. Once the film went on floors, the team wanted a title representing someone in each family who makes everyone feel secure. “Every family has a star. We wanted a title that would resonate with everyone through that characterisation.”
Family Star, in which he shares the screen with Mrunal Thakur, is his second collaboration with director Parasuram Petla after Geetha Govindam (2018). “When I take a flight to travel, I most often interact with people; at almost every airport I come across people who tell me that they loved Geetha Govindam (GG) and ask me when I will do such a film again. This time, we went all out to try and ensure that the audience has a blast,” says Vijay.
