"You are destined to win!"
Oaksmith Packaged Drinking Water presents 'Jayammu Nishchayammu Raa',
with me Jagapathi.
Co-powered by Indica Easy Shampoo Hair Color,
Telugu Matrimony,
Vijay JB Infra Pvt Ltd, and Continental Xtra.
Special Partners, VCare Hair and Skin Clinic.
Cadbury Silk, Monkey 555 Premium Brooms, Macho Hint,
GB Mall - Shop and Celebrate,
Jar App and Country Delight. Celebration partner Ibaco.
"You are destined to win!"
The boiling of milk is a sign of auspiciousness.
The buffalo milk sent to us
by our good friends Country Delight
starts our show on an auspiciousness note.
So, let's begin
'Jayammu Nishchayammu Raa', with me, Jagapathi.
There's a story behind every person.
There's a struggle in every story.
And there's a victory that follows every struggle.
Struggle is like a guest.
It comes and goes.
But every time we fall,
we must get back up.
You all know my story.
I fell. I got back up.
And I fell again. And I got back up again.
Getting back up every time we fall
is what is called, 'You are destined to win'.
"You are destined to win!"
When I decided to do a show like this, I didn't have to think much
about whom to invite as my first guest.
One who encourages us a lot.
One who chides us when we make mistakes.
When necessary, he praises us.
And at times, he is our partner in crime.
We all have that one friend who is by our side at all times.
I am about to bring one such person in front of you today.
My buddy. The friend I look up to
is Akkineni Nagarjuna.
Let us welcome Akkineni Nagarjuna.
"K-I-N-G! - Come on! Come on! Everybody!"
"K-I-N..."
Chau!
"This king has got both muscles and a heart."
"Come on! - K-I-N-G. Here comes the king."
"Silence would also start whistling, one and only..."
Your growth, your success, your everything.
My God!
I have got a big problem now. - What is it?
I have addressed you as 'Chinna Babu' since we were kids.
Don't... - You have become a 'Pedda Babu' now.
Are you Chinna Babu, or Pedda Babu,
or Nag, or King?
If you tell us what you really are now, we can take our seats.
Dear friend, my friend.
"Friendship is all we need."
Finally, what's the name? Decide it. - Nag.
Nag. - Then we can sit. Nag is fine.
What are you going to call me?
Chau. - Okay.
Your wish.
How did you get the name 'Chau'?
Chaudhary was shortened to Chau, and you did it.
No, I think we... When we were in Chennai,
you used to take us to a Chinese Restaurant a lot.
You liked Chow there.
It was Southern Chinese we went to. - Yeah! You got it from there.
You used to eat a lot. - Okay, do you remember Anoop?
Which Anoop? - You better not forget Anoop.
This is unfair.
I remember it only till this point. I've forgotten things beyond that.
It started with Anoop and now, your hair is like that.
Oh, you mean Anoop Hair Oil?
Every day, for about 35-40 minutes,
you used to massage it, and did it very sincerely.
It's still there, isn't it?
What's that hair and what's with it?
Now, there's no Anoop.
You talked about my Anoop, so tell me, have you used something?
Your hair is also still intact.
I used nothing. I was just born that way.
It has been that way. Head full of hair. - Right.
The only difference is yours is black and mine is grey.
I use hair colour.
Can you go wild
and rock your hair once in your own inimitable style?
Your hair has gone viral in 'Coolie'. - You mean this?
Lokesh Kanagaraj is a big fan of 'Ratchagan'. Tamil Rakshakudu.
In that movie, during my entry scene, I do this.
He said... 'Sir, I want just that' and made me do it.
I am surviving somehow by doing some odd roles here and there.
Why are you doing antagonist roles now? Tell me what's going on.
5-7 years back, someone asked you if you would do character roles.
You told them there was still time for that, and then, you'd do it.
So, you have always known what you are going to do in your life next.
It's not like I am always sure about these things, Chau,
but whatever characters I like,
always doing things I find exciting, something novel...
I like it a lot.
I watched Lokesh Kanagaraj's 'Kaithi'.
I watched 'Vikram'.
After I saw them, I wanted to work with that guy.
I have to work with Lokesh somehow.
And luckily, he came to me.
Superb. - I was like, 'What is he going to narrate? What's it about?'
That's the exciting part.
'Are you open to playing the antagonist's role?'
If you are open to it, fine. I will sit down and narrate the story.
If not, I will have some tea,
we can chat a bit, and then I'll leave.
So that's how it started. He told me about the character
and I liked the arc.
So much to do. I got scenes that I had never done before.
And, on the other side, who is the protagonist?
Superstar Rajinikanth.
It was okay. Let's give it a shot.
We want some novelty.
We have done a lot of run-of-the-mill kind of things,
songs with heroines, etc.
There should be some novelty.
But anyway, coming back to 'Coolie'.
Can you recite a dialogue from 'Coolie'?
'When one is born,'
'it's already written in his fate'
'who he is going to be killed by.'
Let's chat, but also keep it all real.
Let's watch an AV and then continue the chat. - Okay.
'Chennai, 1959.'
'29th August, 1959.'
What are you looking at? What are you looking at?
That's you.
Thank you. Thank you, Chau. I didn't know about it till now.
What? - I was born in Isabel Hospital.
Where did you get it from?
When you are born, you don't know which hospital it is.
Not that. I didn't know even after that. - Even after that.
The birth certificate and all. I have never seen it before.
It's a lovely piece. I loved that piece.
No, seriously. I never saw it.
So, let's start from your childhood. Shall we go to Chennai?
Come, let's go.
There must be many photos with you then.
Two mannerisms I noticed, and I will tell them about them.
Your mannerisms. - Sure.
One is, you stand this way generally.
If you are irritated, you stand like this.
That's your irritation-pose.
And another thing is, something that no one else does.
You place your hand at a specific spot.
Where do I place it?
Over here.
When you were a kid.
Does anyone place their hands here? What is this, mister?
I don't remember it, Chau.
You won't remember it for sure.
So, you were born... That little baby you saw.
Yeah! - And your dad is the great ANR garu.
What do you feel being the son of Mr ANR...
Being the son of Mr ANR, I feel
it's my past birth's good karma. - Yes.
It's my good fortune, my blessings, that I have a father like ANR.
He was not only a renowned actor or a big star.
As a human being, as a husband to my mother,
as a father to his children...
All these things that I took from him... He is a complete man.
Even after achieving so much, his simplicity,
his whole demeanour, at home...
How he deals with people, how he interacts...
Very, very content. I have seen a lot of people,
great people, people who have made it big in life,
but they never lived as they wanted...
They never lived on their terms.
But my father lived on his terms. Just the way he wanted.
And I believe he was a true king. Absolutely.
And if we keep the statue you made aside, ANR Lives On.
Yes. - That is what is the best part of it.
Yes, yes, yes.
That's a beautiful thought. - Yeah!
Who got that idea?
That was my idea. ANR Lives On. - Very good.
Because it's impossible for... He will neither leave our hearts
nor the hearts of the Telugu people.
He will always be there.
I used to have a good interaction with him.
He's the one who told me to do family movies.
Two wives. Two lovers. He's the one who suggested me. - He did?
Yes, he did. - He never gave me that advise.
Only those who follow advice get it.
What's the point in giving it to those who don't follow it?
You wouldn't have followed it I guess.
That's right.
So, which movies have you done after getting that advice from him?
I did 'Shubhalagnam' right after that. - 'Shubhalagnam'.
'Shubhalagnam' after 'Ghayam' was a complete transformation.
'Shubhalagnam', I thought, 'Okay, I should do it, and I did.'
That's how that happened.
One, as Mr ANR's son...
Was that why you wanted to become an actor,
or when was it? How did you get that thought?
I mean, I had been watching dad since I was a kid,
and I used to go to his shoots.
Somewhere, that left an impression on me.
It was something on my mind, and then, my brother, Venkat...
I don't know what really it was
that made him say... 'Nag, why don't you try acting?' 'Yes,'
'I will try'. I wanted to do it. - Okay.
But was it an immediate decision, when he asked it...
Immediately. When he asked, I was like... 'Yes, let's do it'.
'But what would dad say?'
'He sent me to a faraway place and got me educated...'
'He made me do all that.'
'What is he going to say? We should ask him first.'
What about that? - 'We must ask him first.'
'I am not going to tell him. You go and tell him.'
He told him that. - He said, 'You be there. I'll ask.'
So, he took me to dad,
and I remember this very, very clearly.
Almost 9-9:30 in the night, just before he went to bed...
We went to him and told him that we were thinking of this...
I actually saw tears in his eyes.
Then, I came to know.
Dad, actually wanted it. - It was done. Happy.
And I said, 'Why is he sad?' He sent me for higher studies,
and after I came back,
I wanted to get into films. I felt the tears were due to sadness.
That's what I thought.
But no, he was very, very happy.
And almost for a minute, he didn't say anything.
He kept his head down, and then, he said...
'It's a lot hard work. You know that, right?'
'It's not easy.'
'You must be thinking it'll be easy as you are my son. It's not easy.'
'You have to work hard. You have to do it.'
Right. - Very happy.
'I'm very, very happy that you have decided this.'
Do you know who was the reason why I got into acting?
You mentioned somewhere. I heard it. It was me. - It was you.
How do you remember that?
You remember that, but have forgotten everything else.
That I remember.
I would like to say something...
I used to work at Blooming Dale then.
Okay. - Furniture shop.
Vizag. - In Vizag.
When I was free, since we were buds, I'd to come to your shoots. - Yes.
So, I saw your room, your costumes,
your make-up, and I was fascinated.
Till then, I didn't have any such idea.
So, you saw this glamour, and wanted to become an actor?
I saw the glamour, I came to the shoots...
I saw what you did. - What did you see?
I thought I could also do it if you could do it.
That's how I could... I entered films.
So, you are a major reason for that. - Okay.
So, that is how both of us are here. - Fantastic.
A number of times,
in many situations, I used to think, 'How would Nag think about this?'
Because I thought your thought process was unbelievably good.
Your instincts are very, very good.
And of course, you are very clever.
Venkat also. All these people.
A number of times I tried to copy you, but it didn't exactly work out.
So, finally I thought, 'No point in trying.'
I decided to be the way I was.
No, you are doing fantastic. - Oh, thank you.
And how did you become close friends with Venkat, even closer than me?
The age difference between you and my older brother
is even wider, right?
We went to Singapore, you remember?
You don't!
Don't you remember the 'stink bomb'? - That I remember.
So then? You cleaned the carpet, you don't remember? - I don't.
We hit the whole corridor with a 'stink bomb'.
Is it? - In a 5-star hotel.
They made us clean it!
They made you clean the whole thing. You moped it.
I see.
An incident that happened in Singapore. A surprise.
Do you have those photos as well?
I won't tell you. Just wait. - Okay.
You called your friend, not my brother.
I know about you. - He is your brother first.
We have been five years apart since we were kids.
So, I am a bit older.
After that, I went to the college, and he was still in school.
I used to see you a lot in Madras. - Right.
I thought Singapore was the main spot.
I said earlier that there was such huge age gap between you two.
How did you two end up as friends? - He's a monkey.
Do you know his name? - I don't know.
We called him 'baldie'. Look at him.
I call him 'Chau'.
Chau. - You all call him Chau, too, right?
He used to help us with everything in Singapore.
I stayed in his room. Do you remember?
You and I were in one room, and you were taking a bath.
As I am too timid. - Too afraid of ghosts as well.
Scared of ghosts and all.
I opened the door and looked at the corridor.
There was a girl at a distance.
She looked like a ghost.
I got scared and broke your door.
'Come out of the bathroom.'
How could I come out of the bathroom naked?
You didn't come out. That would've been ugly. But that's not the point.
How is this surprise? The Singapore surprise.
Yeah, I was surprised. Completely surprised. - Very good.
So, what's with you? Will you talk directly and honestly here, or...
So, should I lie or should I speak the truth here?
You don't lie anyway, so just speak the truth.
Alright then. - This show is completely real.
Moreover, it's his show. Settle your scores with him.
Just don't put me in trouble.
There are no scores to settle between us.
He's five years older than you,
so why do you call him by his first name, Venkat?
In our family... - That's not the kind of culture.
You guys call 'bro', 'brother', etc. - That is different in your family.
Right... - That is a difference in the whole family.
You don't follow such things, I think.
I used to call my older sister Satya. Even older than Venkat.
I used to tease her as well. You remember it?
You teased everyone.
Uncle. Uncle Venkat.
Please come and sit here.
Thank you for coming, Venkat. - Yeah! It's a pleasure always.
"You are destined to win!"
We are done with Chennai.
Now, Hyderabad. The Hyderabad School.
What all you have done, what you really are...
Shall we see watch an AV about it?
About the Hyderabad School?
I don't remember it, but let's watch it.
Try to remember everything. It's all good, right? Have a look.
Where have you got all these AVs from?
"You are destined to win!"
Beautiful school.
So, how were your school days?
You remember them? - School days were just fun.
Fun. The things that you have done...
Nothing much. Just an average student.
Just some regular mischief, like the rest of them.
Shall we recount a few?
Yes, tell me about them. I don't remember them.
Did Venkat study in the same school, or...
Venkat studied in the same school. Yeah.
You remember anything? - He was the shortest in his class.
Yes. Shortest.
Malli was his best friend. - Yes.
They used to be this tall.
By the time I returned from America,
I couldn't recognise him.
Because he was a shorty.
Suddenly he became 6 feet tall. Taller than me. I am 5.8,
and he became 4-5 inches taller than me.
I just couldn't recognise him.
Because I hadn't seen him for those two years. - Oh!
Actually... Actually, Venkat, Chau,
there used to be a rule in Hyderabad Public School.
Unless you were taller than 5 feet,
they didn't let you wear full pants.
So, I never wore full pants in that school. I was always in shorts.
Really!
So cute. - What he used to do is, as far as I remember,
to become as tall as me,
he used to always hang to something or the other.
I used to hold the trees and...
But he did become tall. - Whether it was because of that,
or because our grandparents were tall...
Some people get their heights from good genes.
He became tall in those two years. - Yes, he changed drastically.
Anything else from school?
I don't remember anything from school. It was not co-education.
It was all-boys. - Very sad, right? Very sad.
Poor guy!
When it came to our children, it was co-education.
Co-education. All boys...
It's good in a way,
or else he would've turned into a Casanova right then.
When did you realise for the first time Nag was female-magnet?'
Who asks an elder brother such a question?
There's no room for any hesitation on this show.
So, everything is allowed in here.
Well, I do have shame and I'm shy, too.
It's too late for that!
You are a stronger female-magnet than him.
This is unacceptable.
This episode isn't about me.
You are absolutely right.
You are saying so because it's very convenient.
The world won't agree with you. So, I'm not going to either.
I'm that only in films. - I strongly object to it!
I learnt everything from you.
Really? Stop blaming me, will you?
Didn't you tell me that you tried but failed to follow me?
I was talking about something else. This is a different kind of talent.
That means, there's talent in you.
Well, if you admit that you have that talent, then me too.
Please note that, Your Honour.
I strongly object to this as well.
I'm the host. I call the shots around here.
Are you going to change the topic now? - It's already done.
This is so unjust. You were hosting a show and asked me to be a guest.
I was at the shoot and went to Goa as well prior to that.
You are talking about 90s outing... - Yes, 90s group outing.
But you accused me of staying back in Goa.
Whatever, there was a communication gap.
You said, 'He isn't shooting. Must be on a date in Goa.'
One hundred percent right!
Someone please get me my phone. I'll prove he was wrong.
I was at a shoot in Hyderabad on the 30th, you know.
I wasn't there. Sorry. - You weren't there in Goa?
I was there, but not on the 30th. - These were my exact words.
'He must have gone to Goa and spent sleepless nights over there.'
'At least two evenings.'
I said there's no way he can make it to the show, Venkat.
What else can he do at Goa?
I had been to Bangkok, Sri Lanka, Goa. But I didn't drink. I gave up.
Really?
I can't do that anymore. It's all in the past.
I will also talk about those days. - I wasn't talking about drinking.
Didn't you say that I must have spent sleepless nights over there?
Why don't you enlighten us? - This is horrible.
What you are hinting at is even worse.
I don't know who is getting interviewed here.
This isn't a conventional interview at all.
Exchange of thoughts.
This is what he said when I walked in, Venkat.
'We are going to speak only the truth on this show.'
That's what we are doing.
That's true.
You handle everything in a smooth manner.
This is true even when you scold. I was at the receiving end once.
I scolded you? - Yes.
I don't remember.
It was 25 years ago.
We were having a meeting somewhere. You asked me to join you for lunch.
The lunch is pretty good.
And then you said, 'You watched the premiere of my movie'
'and said to the public the film wasn't good.'
'You have no idea how much value your words carry.'
'So better control your tongue.' That's what you told me.
I think I was spot on. - Yes, you were.
I stopped going to premieres after that. - What?
Because I can't keep my opinions to myself.
There's one more. We'll talk about it later.
There's plenty, you know. It's hard to catch hold of you.
Let me tell you... - No one can catch you easily.
I'm going to expose you today. - That's okay.
It's a beautiful friendship. 'So what'.
Can you guess who's going to be the next surprise guest?
How can I guess, sir? Give me a hint, please.
You want a hint...
This person meets Nag on the auspicious day of Rakhi.
Hi, Susheela!
I expected this.
Really? - He knew.
I knew she would be here.
Good... Anyway...
There's a lot to tell you.
About what? - I mean, about you two.
What are you talking about? - There's nothing...
We talk to each other every day.
We spoke last evening as well.
I'm talking about stink bombs, water tanks...
Oh? About our childhood.
Of course. - Pranks!
I'm going to call her Tuthala. Her name's Tuthala.
Then I'll call you Kitti Chavu. - I don't mind at all.
Please tell us all about stink bombs.
He doesn't seem to remember.
A few days before my marriage, you two went to Singapore.
And you bought some stink bombs.
When people were having food at my wedding,
you placed those stink bombs under the table.
That's what you did. Don't you remember?
Seriously? You don't remember!
Look at your elder brother.
I wasn't part of it at all. All the credit goes to him.
You were a part of everything. - But I did nothing.
Look, dear. I've got nothing to do with any of this.
You did that...
Trust me. I got nothing to do with it. Please don't believe him.
We need a time machine for this as well.
It's cheating.
Don't you remember that incident?
I remember you telling me about it.
But I didn't see them doing that.
Now, you're defending your brothers.
Of course she will always defend us as a sister. - Okay.
Are you going to talk about the water tank or should I?
You go ahead. - Do you remember that incident?
You don't remember anything. That's why you're so happy. - Yes.
He doesn't remember a thing. - I'm pretty sure he's going to
forget this show and me as well pretty soon.
'Who are you?' He's going to ask that question.
This incident involves the three of us. Venkat wasn't there.
We three jumped into a water tank in your Hyderabad house.
He was there, too. - I remember this one.
I remember this... - We jumped into a water tank
and took bath leisurely. - Yes, we did that...
And when your dad returned home from a shot
and opened a tap, coloured water came out of it.
And then, he lost his cool and starting swearing at us.
I was the main victim... - That's true.
He got away. So did Venkat.
'As a girl, how could you do such something dirty?' He said that.
Was she a girl back then? - I didn't get into the tank at all.
She was a Tomboy. - She used to wear only pants and shirts.
He said, 'You are going to get married soon.'
'How could you act so foolishly?'
'What if something untoward had happened?'
This is what happened. - Yes, that's true.
I talked about another incident a while ago, right?
You invited me to a party at your house. - Okay.
My co-brother and I were partying at home then. Susheela was there, too.
You invited both me and her.
She suggested that we should take him, too.
Your co-brother? - Yes.
I objected to it and said that it was not a right thing to do.
But she insisted on taking him with us as well.
I got drunk and created a commotion.
He did the same thing, too.
You gave us a look back then. It was very dangerous.
After that, you never invited me again...
Until now. - Another complaint.
I don't remember this. - Me neither, dear.
Chaithanya's marriage... You didn't invite me to Chaithanya's wedding!
I did invite you. But you weren't available, you know.
You said that you were in Vizag...
When did you invite me? - We invited you for 'Baaraat'.
When exactly did you invite me?
It all happened all of a sudden.
You didn't invite me to the wedding.
I know what exactly went wrong. You thought she would
invite me, or Venkat would do. - That's exactly what happened...
That's what happened. - Let's assume that we didn't
invite you, why didn't you show up? - I'm shameless.
Aren't we close friends?
Why didn't you come? - I was shooting the next day.
And there was nobody... - I'd have cancelled the shoot.
You didn't attend my daughter's wedding.
Don't take the high ground. - Did you hear that?
I think it's going to lead to a fight.
Nagarjuna, I invited him thrice for my son's wedding, you know.
For 'Pellikodaku' ceremony.
I was in Goa then. - Reception.
He didn't attend, you see.
It's about him, not you.
It's about the family.
No. You're wrong. - Venkat...
After going to Goa, he has been...
You're right. That's what he has been doing.
I took a day out for him. But he didn't show up at all.
He just didn't. - Well...
Another sweetest thing was...
I was one of the first persons who was invited for Akhil's wedding.
Yes. - You invited me and I was so touched by that.
You did so because you forgot to invite me before.
Am I right? - Correct.
Well, that was beautiful.
And you behaved like a gentleman. Your behaviour was dignified.
Did I drink that day? - No, you didn't.
See, I didn't.
Okay. - You talk as if drinking is a problem.
What are you... - You're turning it into a problem.
What are you talking about?
Sit down, will you? Susheela, go sit with Venkat.
Thank you very much for bringing both my brother and sister...
We never did a show together, right?
I don't think we ever got together like this before. - Only once.
Maybe for some function or something, you see.
After the film, 'Manam' released, we three were together.
Did one show. - It was fun.
Someone told me that for Akhil's recent film,
I was considered for a small role. - That's true.
And you said,
'Don't talk to him about this. We barely meet these days.'
'If you do this, our friendship will take a beating. Don't do it.'
I was so touched. - Yes...
Beautiful gesture. - It was a small role.
Thank you very much. It was a beautiful gesture.
You went out of your way.
I think you are one of the producers, right?
Yes. - You didn't have to do that.
'See, that's where I love your ethics.'
'That is where I really look up to you...'
'We were friends before all this, you know. - Yes.'
Well, when I send a message, you reply after ten days.
But we have been friends for 50 years.
After ten days, you sent a message, 'I'll call you tomorrow.'
After ten days? - I replied back, 'Don't bother.'
I did that because you had already said no.
I'll come to that... - I didn't want to trouble you.
I didn't want you to say sorry. - You're imagining things.
Stop assuming. - Then you are going to ask me to adjust the dates.
I didn't want to go through that.
There was no involvement from my end. - I called up the producer,
I mean, Swapna and told her I'd give my dates
whenever he was free. - That is very sweet.
Thank you very much for that.
You studied at Guindy, right? How was the experience?
Oh, fantastic!
For the first time, I went out of the house and stayed in a hostel.
And it was a co-ed. - You tasted freedom
for the first time. - For the first time...
Any memories from Guindy college.
A lot. But I can't share now. I'll tell you later.
Nothing doing. You must share.
It won't be appropriate. I can't, you see.
Let me help you with it.
There's one memory which I can never forget. Every weekend,
I visited your place. I mean, we used to come.
You spotted a ghost once, right?
It was you who spotted a ghost, not me. - Hey!
This is impossible. You had already mentioned this in an interview.
You even said the ghost was combing its hair.
We had a different spirit together. It's a different story.
Mr Chowdary, there's an episode involving Mr Sivaji Ganesan, right?
I still vividly remember that.
I think Nag was a part of it. - It involves Ouija board, too.
You're right, Venkat. - I know...
You guys used to do something with it. - Yes.
At one stage, someone warned you not to go any further.
Yes, he did say that.
I'll tell you what happened. Nag and my brother...
Ramu, his brother and I were very interested.
We were into black magic... - We all were a part of it.
Mr Sivaji walked into our room. Do you remember that? - Yes.
He was shell-shocked and scolded us.
When his wife, Kamala, asked him what were we up to.
He said, 'They all are playing some stupid game.'
That ghost. Well, I don't know what it was anyway.
And it swore big time.
You dash, dash and so on. - Yes...
Do you remember that? - Yes, I do.
We can't fill in the blanks because it's a family show.
Thank God he bought it.
There was a ghost in the previous house as well.
I'm talking about your first house in Hyderabad.
Well, you guys used to believe in everything and sacred to death.
That ghost was spotted by you. - No, I never spotted anything.
At least that's what you said.
Aayamma, I guess. Yes, it was Aayamma!
Well, that house had glass windows.
And gust of wind was always around. - True.
There were strange sounds at night as well.
These things gave an impression that it was a haunted bungalow.
And window panes were quite loose.
So they used to flutter a lot.
Hence there was a rumour... - Susheela, do you remember Aayamma?
Well, there was this very small temple, you see.
While renovating the building, it was covered with cement.
Then the contractor said,
'He was looking down and somebody pushed him from behind.'
Okay. - And he fell.
He fell from the top, right? - Yes...
He was gone. Yes.
That's when everyone started saying that
because of what he did to the temple
this happened.
Of course, we all were scared of ghosts when we were children.
But I'd like to tell the audience one thing though. Jagapathi Babu
is very scared of ghosts. He's an invincible villain in films.
The most cruellest one ever.
But he's scared to death of ghosts. - I am scared of ghosts!
Even now, when no one's home, I turn on all lights. - Yes!
He used to sleep with all lights turned on.
So ghosts couldn't be seen. I can deal with people. I see them.
Well, people are worse than ghosts these days.
A surprise from Guindy College. - From Guindy College?
Nagarjuna and I were classmates at College of Engineering in Guindy.
In the first two years, I was just a promising cricketer.
I played for the university and state juniors.
My classmate... - Suddenly, after the second year of engineering,
he left and went back to, probably, to Hyderabad
or abroad to study. I really don't know.
But after that, we lost touch.
Then, suddenly, one fine day I came to know that
our classmate Nagarjuna had become a fantastic hero!
And I couldn't believe it.
Because how could a guy who was so quiet in the class,
who didn't even open his mouth,
who always had a gentle smile on his face,
suddenly become an action hero! I just couldn't believe it.
There's a good bonding with Nagarjuna.
We talk cordially when we meet.
We just say, 'Vada, poda', you know, in a typical college language.
I know that he's hearing me. Hi, Nagarjuna. All well with you?
Very good. Your friend is interviewing you. Fantastic!
Nagarjuna! 'Machha!', I watched your movie, 'Kubera'!
I liked it a lot. Fantastic, dude.
Thank you. Thank you, Chika.
And then, you went to the USA. Share that experience.
What's your age?
You mean, when? - Now.
Sixty three. - I'm sixty six.
Why do you want to know that?
Because the people want to know. - This is something old people do.
You know, while chitchatting.
'We did that, we did this.'
No problem. Let us watch an AV from the USA.
All right.
"We are go getters. No one can stop us!"
"We are like thunderstorm. We are your worst nightmare!"
"We are invincible. We are going to defeat death!"
"Everyone has to answer our call. They have no choice!"
"Every breath is a gift..."
Who were your best friend in the USA? I know Malli is one.
Malli is my childhood friend. - I know.
He is in the USA now.
My name is Mallik.
I have known Nag literally all my life.
Thanks to our parents, who were friends.
So, we have gone through life's experiences right from childhood.
A couple of early childhood memories if I have to share.
Us going fishing in KBR Park.
And of course, fishing turned into swimming.
And our bad luck is...
The only lone car on road number one
was Nag's mom driving.
And of course, we were hauled out of there by the ear.
And then, we were grounded for a couple of weeks, at least.
It was worth it. I'm sure we would have done that again and again.
But next time... The next few times, I don't think we were caught.
And Nag being Nag...
Took a shower, rushed out without wiping
his moustache adequately.
And of course, being the freezing cold it was,
the moustache turned into ice.
And Nag being a curious guy,
tried to figure out what it was and in the process
broke the ice and along with it came half his moustache into his hand.
That was a very funny event for me, at least.
And the look on his face was priceless.
Him holding that little moustache in his hand.
And the kind of guy Nag was,
of course, he took it in his stride and got a good laugh.
To be truthful, I'm so glad he did that.
Because along the way, he gave me memories, many stories.
A wild streak and a friendship
that's been the anchor through it all.
Thank you, Nag.
Enjoy the rest of the show, Nag.
And Jagapathi, thanks a lot for doing such a wonderful show.
Bringing out the real raw stories of
people we admire.
You've done something meaningful here.
And I wish you all the best. Thank you. Bye!
Thank you, Mallik. Thank you.
Share your memories of staying in the USA.
I don't know what to say, you know.
I can share a few.
Venkat wants to share.
Their apartment looked like a pigsty.
Looked like a pigsty.
Well, all the used plates
as old as a week, even ten days...
She can vouch for it.
There was no washing of any sort, whatsoever.
Susheela used to come once a week and clean it up
and do the laundry... - Are you hearing this?
She used to do something else, too. - They were a bunch of lazy fellows.
Malli, you and Naren were roommates, right?
I once went to their place and the bathtub was green.
They used to dye their hair with different colours, so...
I used to clean all that.
Usually, you find cutlery in draws, right?
Their cutlery's home was the basin.
If you need a spoon, you have to pull it out from the basin,
wash it, and then, use it.
They were that untidy...
Well, on the one hand, he's calling me a legendary actor.
Someone even said I am a great actor.
Why are you making them say such uninspiring things?
You are damaging my public image.
No...
To tell people that such a man is very successful today. - Yes.
No one will believe this transformation.
After marrying Amala, I paid a visit to him.
There was this carpet.
In front of the sink. He was making enormous effort
to make sure it was placed right at the middle.
He is very tidy now. I just can't believe it.
It's just unbelievable. - Extreme.
He has hoped from one extreme to another.
He lives on the other extreme now.
This program is all about that. 'We Are Destined To Win'
Despite doing all this, he came out as a victor.
That's what really matters.
Okay.
When you were sick...
I was not sick.
We were at Mr Madhavarao's house. And there was this heavy snow.
I was wearing a saree.
He was so caring...
Because I have to walk through one foot of snow.
As soon as I stepped out, he lifted me up and took me to the car.
I don't know if he remembers.
But it was a touching experience for me.
Do you remember that at least? - No, he doesn't.
So, we have covered everything.
No, only that you know of.
Then tell me what I don't know. - Why would I do that?
I'm not going to do that.
If you do that, I'm not going to invite you back here.
A few things should be left alone. That's what I'm going to do.
You have forgotten a very crucial, important and sentimental...
And a very emotional aspect.
Actually, you wanted to talk about that?
I will never ever forget that.
A short while ago, I talked about pranks
that he played in the USA, right?
There was this unbelievable transformation.
Well, Sathya Bhushan was in his last days.
He was not even taking a sip of water.
And his body had given up.
But he was still holding on.
That suffering was prolonging.
Nagarjuna said this to me,
'Susheela, Sathya Bhushan is hanging on.'
'Do you think something is worrying him?'
'Do you think it would help if I talked to him?'
I asked him to try.
So he came down with Amala and Akhil.
And, Sathya Bhushan was kind of not with us.
But he sat next to him
and said, 'Sathya Bhushan, please don't worry.'
'I will take care of Susheela and the kids.'
Maybe that worked. Next day he was gone!
He needed that assurance and emotional support I guess.
I will never forget. He is so... Really, Chinna Babu.
I can never forget what you did those days for me.
And even now.
"I am building a temple for the hand that wiped my tears."
"You sang lullabies for me."
My sister.
"You come back..."
My younger brother.
But not younger brother,
but now, along with Venkat,
he is like another elder brother for me.
That much support he gives me.
Okay, now let's start a rapid fire round, sponsored by Jar App.
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In this round, I will ask you five questions back-to-back.
You must also answer them honestly, as usual.
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These 25,000 coins,
the team of Jar app will use for a social cause.
If you skip any question,
5,000 coins will be deducted. - Okay.
What do you love the most? Cooking or workouts?
Workouts.
Shooting sets or family trips? - Family trips.
No phone for 3 days or no food for 3 days?
For the time being no phone for 3 days. - Very good.
If not an actor, what would you have become? - I don't know.
I don't know.
If you want to do a sequel, would it be Shiva 2 or Geetanjali 2?
Both of them die in Geetanjali.
It's Shiva.
A few things about your life, I mean, movies. - Movies.
The variety of films you have done. Many variations in every character.
It's shocking to a lot of people all the time,
and still not understood by people.
'Vikram', 'Shiva', 'Geetanjali', 'Annamayya'.
'Hello Brother.'
'Manam'. 'Manam' especially, of course.
You know how different they are,
how touching they are... Some films.
We want to know those details.
More than these films, let me tell you, Chau,
what films made me... The films I like,
how they shaped me, how I found my path...
'Vikram', of course,
it was my first film. I don't know much about it. - Of course, yeah!
Dad said it would be a great first film for me. - Okay.
In Hindi, Jackie Shroff did it. The movie was 'Hero'.
It was his first film, too. - Yes.
It suited the first-timers really well.
It had all varieties, so we did it.
"You are destined to win!"
I did 'Vikram'. It did well.
It was only because it was Mr Nageshwar Rao's son, Mr ANR's son
that he has joined films.
'Let's see how he is.'
That's why people came to theatres, and it worked commercially.
More than that, there's not much to that film.
Okay. Some people liked me, some people hated me.
All of that.
From then, for almost seven films,
they asked me to do something and I did that. It went like that.
During that time, I did 'Collector Gari Abbayi', with dad.
I got 'Majnu'.
I did it with Mr Dasari Narayana Rao.
That actually, the movie named 'Majnu', gave me a good break.
'There's an actor in him.'
Another big break in mass, commercial films, 'Aakhari Poratam'.
But it was only because of Mr Raghavendra Rao and Ms Sridevi.
That's what the film is about. I was basically a prop over there.
Hmm. - In that movie.
I didn't like what I was doing till that point.
I wanted to do what I liked.
So, then, no matter what anyone said,
I chased Mr Mani Ratnam.
I watched a movie named 'Mouna Ragam', by Mr Mani Ratnam.
That was made in Tamil and released in Telugu.
I saw that movie and thought
his sensibilities and everything would suit me well.
So, I thought, somehow I have to...
In Chennai, he used to live in Poes Gardens.
I learnt that he went for a walk at 6 in the morning every day.
I followed him for one month.
I used to go and stand in front of his house at 6 am.
He would let me walk for ten minutes alongside him. After that,
he'd say he was going to play tennis.
I convinced him, and we made 'Geetanjali' together.
Your effort. - Yeah!
"Oh, my dear! Oh, my cherished one!"
"My beloved one!"
First, he wanted to make it in Tamil.
I told him, 'No, sir', and gave him the idea.
'You already have a market in Tamil.'
If he wants to broaden his market, I convinced him to do a Telugu film.
So, he made 'Geetanjali' in Telugu.
It broadened his market.
I, too, got the hit I wanted.
The thing that you wanted, you chased and chased,
and till you got it, you persisted,
and like a fighter, like a survivor, you made it as a winner.
That is the whole thing.
To give some small examples, Anoop is one example.
Dance... You don't like it at all.
You used to say, 'If I have to dance in the movie, I won't do it'.
Then, when someone said if you want to be a commercial hero,
you have to learn it. - True.
And you learnt it. That's why we say 'you are destined to win'.
"You are destined to win!"
That is what the show is about.
Then 'Shiva'. - There's going to be a mini-surprise before that.
Before 'Shiva...' - Before Shiva.
AV, please.
In my very first film outing,
I get to work opposite someone like Nagarjuna.
He is very kind, very gentle.
And he has a good sense of humour.
I think he made a joke about the way I walked at one point.
But it was a kind joke.
I remember after the film is released,
it must've been the day after.
And congratulating me.
It was incredibly polite.
And kind. And I will never forget that moment.
This is just to say, thank you very much, Nagarjuna,
for being such a great co-actor, in 'Geetanjali', my very first film.
It's wonderful to see that you have become nothing less than a legend.
Thank you, Girija.
Thank you. Oh, that was a nice surprise.
Girija has changed, but you still look the same.
Now, yeah, 'Shiva'.
'Shiva'. Everyone knows about it.
Ramu is a friend, a video shop owner.
He came to me and narrated the story, and I liked it.
He narrated me the story while we were making 'Geetanjali'.
I thought, 'Hey, I found another director,'
'someone I like...' And we started it.
'Shiva...' That became history.
After 'Shiva', such a big hit,
after two movies becoming such big hits,
I struggled a lot.
After that, almost six films flopped consecutively.
One among them that worked to some extent was 'Nirnayam'.
'Nirnayam', I did with Priyadarshan.
I opened up. Because I had to do comedy in it.
I had to do a lot of comedy. Entertainment.
Right. - I opened up with 'Nirnayam'.
But still, these movies weren't working, and...
Then, Mr Kodandarami Reddy made 'President Gari Pellam'.
Mass, full village.
Full mass, full village. They gave a curly wig as well. - First time.
I came to that shoot.
I wore a wig for the first time.
I told him I had hair... - He said, 'But it's not curly'.
He gave me this wig and...
But that broke... - It worked.
It worked. - It worked big time.
After that there were consecutive... I opened up.
I opened up completely.
I opened up really well, in one of my favourite films, 'Hello Brother'.
E V V Satyanarayana.
I did a double role for the first time.
In this film, I thought I really opened up.
Before this, there is a small surprise for you connected to Shiva.
One more AV.
To say about Nagarjuna in one word,
he is the key that opened the lock to my entire life.
Because I never believed that I was alive before making 'Shiva'.
My father gave birth to me as a person.
He gave birth to me as a director.
At that time, such a pathbreaking,
such experimental... What was being made in those days,
to break the filmmaking style of those days...
He gave me the trust to make what I believed in.
That is something I can never ever
forget or how to describe that emotion...
At that time, a big production house like Annapurna Studios
gave someone without experience a chance and trusted him...
100% of the credit goes to Nagarjuna.
The vision he had,
or how he received what I had to say... Generally, it's clear
in our heads when we explain something,
but only when the other person is able to understand it,
does he give you that freedom, or that conviction.
At that time, when 'Shiva' was releasing, there was
a union strike going on and the music industry stopped working.
At that time,
one of the producers said,
'Let's add the music tracks, like reference tracks',
'because if do it in Bombay, it'll be very expensive.'
'If we go there...'
Then, Nagarjuna said, 'I want it exactly the way Ramu wants'.
'If it costs too much, deduct it from my remuneration.'
'But don't restrict Ramu.'
So, whatever happened internally, only I know about it.
So Nagarjuna's contribution to me as a director,
and the entire film to be made like that,
is something which cannot be counted in words.
Or described in words, I would rather say.
A film involves a lot of team work.
The director could have the vision. But if there isn't an actor
or a producer who allows his vision,
no director can make a film, as per his vision.
And 'Shiva' is just one of the upper limit examples
of that particular thing.
This is called, 'You are destined to win!'
We worked together again.
I made a film called 'Antam'. I think it's...
I feel it was ahead of its time.
If it had released now, it would've been a major hit.
That grey character. - Yes. I agree.
Completely. - Ahead of its time.
And 'Krishna Vamsi', 'Ninne Pelladata', or 'Annamayya'.
I mean, 'Annamayya', I don't know how it came to me, but it did.
Lord must've sent it
for me.
So, how I got it, and how Mr Raghavendra Rao cast me in it...
I still don't understand how it happened.
But it went into a completely different zone.
'O Lord of Seven Hills, Venkata Ravana. Hail Lord Govinda!'
All my movies, whether good or bad, dad used to watch all of them.
'You are good in this movie'.
'You did good work.' He used to say a few things.
But when 'Annamayya' released,
he came to me, and held my hands tightly.
Just...
Nice. - And that was the world to me.
Yup. - First time.
He just looked at me and did that.
Another big thing could be...
After the premiere was over, mom came out and hugged me tightly,
and cried non-stop for five minutes.
Aww!
She was thoroughly moved. Completely.
Completely moved.
The film, that climax, the end portion of it... Not just mom,
everyone who saw that movie was moved that way.
The last portion. - Yeah.
I also have to thank my producers.
Earlier, I talked about 'Aakhari Poratam'.
Mr Ashwini Dutt made that film.
I don't know where he got the guts to make that film.
He brought Ms Sridevi from there, he cast me in it.
I don't know how he did it. Sridevi worked with dad as well.
He has always been like that. He did 'Jagadika Veerudu'.
Also, there's Mr Shiva Prasad Reddy.
Oh, yeah! - Our producer. He made so many films with me.
There are so many producers. It's not just us.
The directors who have made films with me.
I worked with many new directors. Some are hits. Some are flops.
But till today, I have no regrets whatsoever.
Good. - Absolutely.
Good.
That's the best part of it. - No regrets about anything.
That's the best part.
We have an AV about 'Annamayya'.
Hail Lord Govinda!
For me
and Nagarjuna,
this movie 'Annamayya' is the sacred offering given to us
by Lord Venkateshwara Himself.
"Look there. That's where Lord Hari resides."
I called Nagarjuna and asked him to hear a story.
I told him whether we make money from it or not, you will surely
win an award for it.
For 40-45 minutes,
Mr Bharavi told the story.
Nagarjuna's eyes turned
completely red. He became emotional.
"Everything's in a whirl."
"Now, it's all in a whirl."
Surely, not just an award,
it will also become a big hit commercially as well.
'With your combination,'
'how can you make a devotional movie?'
Many said that. But thanks to Lord Venkateshwara,
it turned into an unforgettable film in Nagarjuna's and my careers.
That film was an unforgettable experience.
A souvenir in its memory.
"Look, that is where Lord Hari resides."
This is presented by Vijay JB Infra Private Limited.
After I did 'Annamayya' movie,
you know, Mr Bharavi, right? He wrote the 'Annamayya' story.
All the Keerthans of Annamayya... Every evening...
He used to teach me their meaning.
And I used to listen.
Spiritually, there was a lot of change in me.
After doing 'Annamayya', I became a happier person.
Very happy.
And you were vegetarian at that time? - Yes, while doing Annamayya.
I agree these are great films. But there's no match to 'Manam'.
It is the best because of the beauty of the family.
'Dad, you are our inspiration.'
'You'll always be in our prayers.'
'And you'll always reside'
'in the heart of every Telugu person.'
Manam is very, very special for us.
The whole family came together.
We realised it was going to be his last film in the middle of shoot.
He had cancer. So, we already knew it'd be his last film.
So, the universal force gave us all a push.
We wanted to turn it into a big hit
since it was his last film. It was very important for us.
I was never under a lot of pressure in life.
I was blessed with beautiful parents.
I was blessed with a good family. Everything.
I was under a lot of pressure only when...
I spent sleepless nights.
I was totally consumed by this film.
Dad warned me
not to get his portion dubbed by someone else.
He wanted to do it himself.
While lying on an ICU bed at home,
he completed his dubbing.
He dubbed with his own voice.
I had shown him the film and he was very happy with it.
That was enough for me.
And then, the film was released.
The Telugu audience loved it.
And it became a huge hit.
'One morning, suddenly...'
'Exactly fifteen days before he passed away...'
Until then, I never believed in numerology.
After doing 'Manam', I started believing in it.
Somewhere, there's some connection with the numbers, you know.
Dad had taken a train from Gudivada
along with Mr Shivaram
and landed in Chennai on May 22.
For a screen test. 'Manam' premiered on May 22.
Wow.
My first film started on May 22.
To be honest, there are a plenty of coincidences on May 22 and 23.
That made me realise that
my dad was the master of his fate.
What I learnt from this is,
your destiny is in your hands.
That's what 'Manam' taught me.
And 'Manam' is getting released in Japan.
Wow...
With Japanese subtitles. I wish I could show you.
Out of popular demand. They had seen it with English subtitles.
I mean, the Japanese.
They love Indian films. So, out of popular demand,
it's releasing in every city now, one by one.
Three generations from a family have acted in this film.
This is first in the world, I guess.
Dad had this dream.
Since he had acted with me, he wanted to act with his grandsons.
That was his dream. That's how Manam came into picture.
He fulfilled every one of his dreams before leaving.
He used to talk about destiny with me as well.
That destiny... - Is in our hands.
There's some connection, Nag.
My father and your father... I don't know if you know this.
On the eleventh day... My father died first, I think.
Yeah... - And on the eleventh day event,
your father... - My father passed away.
And 'Dasara' Bullodu was released on that day.
There will be a connection. - There's a connection.
'Manam' release date and his first screen test...
And his last film was released on the same date. - Yes.
What is that connection?
After so many years... I didn't plan anything, you see.
Someone told me this after Manam was released.
I mean, about his first screen test.
He showed his picture.
His first screen test photo. - One more AV on 'Manam'.
Whoever did that, fantastic job!
I want this, please.
There can't be a better gift to the Akkineni family.
This is what... This is to your family.
Well, I want this.
It's yours. It's completely your family's.
Wonderful job. - Yeah...
Now in this AV, the biggest fan of yours is going to talk about you.
'Akkineni Nagarjuna.'
'My father, my friend, my mentor,'
'my inspiration.'
'Someone I have looked up to both on and off screen.'
'Dad...'
'There is this indescribable energy when he's on screen.'
'His swag, mannerism and the signature style,'
'even with his silence, he portrays a character.'
'Films like 'Shiva', 'Antham','
'and so on. He is a big fan of novel ideas.'
'And he is known for setting new trends.'
'Just to name a few, 'Geetanjali', 'Shiva', 'Ninne Pelladutha','
'Hello Brother', 'Manmathudu', 'Annamayya','
'Soggadu', and a recent success, 'Kubera' and upcoming 'Coolie'.'
'As a human being, I learnt a lot of values from him.'
'I'm still learning from him.'
'Whenever I meet him, I'll be hit with a positive vibe.'
'Thank you for being who you are, dad.'
'Not just as your son, but also as your fan,'
'I love you, my king.'
Yet another gift!
So many variations. In 'Coolie', you are playing a villain.
And then, there's 'King 100'. You'll have to talk about that.
When 'Coolie' was narrated to me,
I asked if Rajini sir was okay with it.
Is he really doing this film. Because my character is so strong!
So, so strong, you see. This is what Rajini sir said,
'When the story was narrated to me, I wanted you to do Simon's role.'
If I want it, I'm going to take it. No questions asked.
He is the king of the place where he lives.
Completely grey character and it's a villain.
He's ruthless, no sympathy, nothing!
I never did such a role before. You know, generally...
There will be a flashback explaining his current behaviour.
You know, the details of back story.
But this film doesn't have that.
That's what I liked about it.
I think the audience going to see me in a different shade altogether.
I was very excited while doing this role.
I really thoroughly enjoyed it.
Anyway the protagonist is superstar Rajinikanth.
It's fine! So...
I said to myself, 'Let's do this.'
I made up my mind and did justice to the role.
And I'm very happy about the output.
Telugu, Tamil and Hindi...
I myself dubbing in all these three languages.
Wow! Wow, really!
Very excited.
What about 'King 100'? - 'King 100...'
It has been brewing for the last six months or so.
The director's name is Karthik. He has done a movie in Tamil.
He narrated the story almost a year ago.
It's going to be a very grand film.
Soon after 'Coolie', I'm going to start this.
My next release will be 'King 100'.
Nice... Action. - Okay...
Family drama and everything.
I'm going to be the protagonist. - I know.
Okay. All the best for 'Coolie' and 'King 100'. - Yeah.
And there's one last AV regarding that.
Very, very special person. - Ah!
He's here to give you his best.
'Chinna Babu...'
It gives me immense pleasure to see you like this.
I'm very, very happy for your hundredth movie.
Your life's journey is a symbol of sincerity and honesty.
You've been the torch bearer of our family values and principles.
You have soared new heights.
I must congratulate you.
I'm proud of you.
Wow...
That was incredible.
May ANR live long!
Thank you. That was incredible. - Awesome job, guys!
Wow. - Fantastic...
Nag, this is Oaksmith style studio moment.
Which tag line do you think is the most stylish one?
King Nagarjuna or Manmadhudu Nagarjuna?
King Nagarjuna of course. - Okay.
Who is the most stylish heroine, Ramya Krishna or Tabu?
I'll go with Ramya.
Ramya is like... Too much fun.
They both are good. You acted with them as well.
Wild fun. - I did the highest number of films with Ramya.
Who's your favourite actress, Ramya Krishna or Soundarya?
This is not my interview. I'm not answering that.
What is more difficult to do? An emotional scene as a hero,
or scaring people as a stylish villain?
It's difficult to do an emotional scene as a hero.
Show me your Oaksmith style studio statement signature move.
Okay.
"We are destined to win."
'What's the biggest turning point in your career?'
In 1990, a very big producer said that
no matter what I can't succeed in this industry.
And he went on to say that I can't walk, dance, fight or act properly,
and my face wasn't photogenic.
I took that as a challenge and built a career out of it.
'Mr Jagapathi Babu, what do you like to do,'
'taking risks, or being in safe zone?'
I was born risk taker.
'What is the biggest reason for your success?'
'Luck or talent?'
I totally believe in destiny.
'You just can't say no to which sweet?' - 'Paalakova'.
'Are you a tea person or coffee person? - Neither.'
Jar App, saving tip of the day.
Don't wait for your salary to go up to begin your savings.
At least invest ten rupees a day. It will help you in future.
'Chinna Babu, I mean, with King Nagarjuna,'
'we all walked down the memory lane today.'
This is 'Jayammu Nishchayammu' in a nutshell.
Next week, I'll see you all with another successful story.