Akshay Kumar starrer Rowdy Rathod was the Hindi version of the Telugu super hit Vikramarkudu, directed by S.S. Rajamouli. Now, it’s time for a switch over. Telugu superstar Ravi Teja a.k.a. Mass Maharaja is all set to star in the Telugu remake of the Akshay Kumar helmed Special 26.
Ravi Teja, who is currently shooting for the sequel to the Telugu version of Kick 2 confirms, “Telugu-Tamil producer Thyagarajan, has bought the South Indian language rights for two Hindi hit films, Vikas Behl’s Queen and Neeraj Pandey’s Special 26. He wants me to play Akshay Kumar’s role in the Telugu version of Special 26.”
Ravi feels a special bonding with Akshay Kumar. “Akshay and I even look similar, physique wise. This is not true with Salman Khan, who did the remake of my Kick. We are completely different actors. But Akshay and I are similar.
When he did Rowdy Rathod, he was gracious enough to say, that he couldn’t do the things I had done in the original. Hopefully, I can do at least some of the things that Akshay did in Special 26.”
The remake, reveals Ravi, would be different from the original. “Special 26 was a raw, real film. Very different from what Akshay usually does. I can’t afford to be different.
My fans would never forgive me. Audiences like me doing action and comedy. I am a jovial person, and have been so from childhood. I like to laugh my way through my work; and that attitude reflects in my roles.
Even women hate me doing rona-dhona roles. So I don’t do emotional films. I did a fantastic emotional film Autograph. But the audiences rejected me in it. They like to see me laughing and fighting.”
Special 26 in Telugu will take time to take off. Says Teja, “I’ve to complete Kick 2. Then I start Bengal Tiger. Only after that will I be able to do Special 26.”
