Telugu director Venky Atluri recently shared some behind-the-scenes stories from his hit film Sir and his connections with actors Ravi Teja and Dhanush. The revelations came during a promotional interview for Ravi Teja’s upcoming movie Mass Jathara, set to release on 31 October.
Venky explained that he originally wrote the story of Sir for Ravi Teja. “I first met Ravi Teja and narrated the story to him. He liked it a lot. However, he was busy with other films and asked me to wait for two to three months,” Venky said. He added that Ravi Teja told him not to ask anyone else to wait unnecessarily and encouraged him to take his time.
During this waiting period, the opportunity arose for Venky to work with Tamil star Dhanush. When he informed Ravi Teja, the actor immediately video-called him. “Ravi Teja asked me what the matter was. I told him about the chance with Dhanush. He said Dhanush is a super actor and I should go ahead. He also said he liked that I had told him first,” Venky shared.
Venky also noted that Ravi Teja continued to support him even after watching Sir. “He told me the movie was good and said he trusted that I would make the right choices. At no point did he feel guilty that the story went to someone else. Our relationship is like brothers,” Venky said.
The movie Sir, starring Dhanush and directed by Venky Atluri, released two years ago. It was a commercial success, made in both Telugu and Tamil, and earned over ₹100 crore at the box office.
Venky further revealed that Ravi Teja was the first choice for Sir, but due to prior commitments, he could not take up the project. The director expressed his respect and admiration for Ravi Teja’s professionalism and supportive nature throughout the process.
With Mass Jathara promotions in full swing, Venky’s comments have gone viral on social media, giving fans a glimpse of the close bond between the director and the stars.