Popular filmmaker Apoorva Lakhia recently opened up about his equation with actor Ram Charan, shedding light on their changing dynamics.
While their friendship remains intact, Lakhia revealed that Charan has stopped responding to his calls after achieving tremendous success. The duo had previously collaborated on the ill-fated film ‘Zanjeer’ in 2013, a remake of the iconic Amitabh Bachchan starrer from the 1970s.
During an interview with Siddharth Kannan, Lakhia expressed his surprise at Charan's unresponsiveness, mentioning that the actor's wife often handles his calls instead. Charan gained worldwide fame with his remarkable performance in SS Rajamouli's blockbuster film ‘RRR’ last year, starring alongside Jr NTR.
On their equation after Zanjeer's failure at the box office
When asked if their equation had changed after the failure of ‘Zanjeer’, Lakhia dismissed the notion, affirming their strong friendship. He stated, "No, he's a really good friend of mine. I've even visited him multiple times since then, but he doesn't answer my calls anymore."
Elaborating on the situation, Lakhia shared an incident when Charan called him from Ukraine while shooting for ‘RRR’. The actor inquired about Lakhia's current activities and even requested his assistance in shooting some second-unit action sequences.
However, Lakhia couldn't accommodate the request due to his prior commitments. Since that conversation, Charan hasn't responded to Lakhia's calls. Speculating on the reason, Lakhia mused, "Maybe his number has changed. He must be busy."
Ram Charan's wife invites him whenever he is in Hyderabad
Despite this, whenever Lakhia visits Hyderabad, Charan's wife extends an invitation, and Lakhia gladly accepts. However, he hasn't had the opportunity to go in quite some time. Lakhia reflected on their relationship after the underwhelming performance of ‘Zanjeer’, stating, "When I visited after the film's failure, everything seemed fine."
In a recent revelation, Lakhia also discussed the critical and commercial failure of ‘Zanjeer’. He expressed his surprise at the film's lacklustre response, considering the star-studded cast and massive platform it had received.
On Zanjeer's failure: May be it wasn't the right to bring a south star in Bollywood
With prominent names like Ram Charan, Priyanka Chopra, and Sanjay Dutt associated with the project, Lakhia believed the film had all the ingredients for success. Reflecting on the possible reasons for its failure, Lakhia speculated, "Maybe people didn't resonate with the hero, or perhaps it wasn't the right time to introduce a South Indian star in Bollywood." However, he emphasized the importance of self-belief in the unpredictable realm of filmmaking.
Looking ahead, Ram Charan has set his sights on Hollywood, following the attention garnered by ‘RRR’. The actor has confirmed his meetings with Hollywood studios and even attended the Oscars ceremony when the film won the award for Best Original Song at the Dolby Theatre.
