Prashanth Neel says Jr NTR took a huge risk with 'Dragon'; Director calls it his darkest character yet

Prashanth Neel has shared new details about his upcoming film 'Dragon'. The project stars Jr NTR in the lead role and has already generated massive excitement after the release of it's glimpse just a day before the 'RRR' actor's birthday.
In a recent conversation with Galatta Plus, Prashanth Neel explained why accepting the role was a major decision for the actor. According to Neel, the character is unlike anything Jr NTR has portrayed before.

Director says 'Dragon' role was a difficult choice

Speaking about their first discussion, Prashanth Neel revealed that the project was narrated to Jr NTR nearly five years ago. He said the actor understood immediately that the part would challenge his established screen image.
Prashanth Neel said, "Five years ago we met and when I told him the line of the movie… I am not going to be presumptious of the fact that I want to be humble all the time, but I think this is probably one of the most difficult decisions that he had to take to play this character. Not because of what is there in the trailer, but what the drama of the movie is. It was one of the biggest decisions that he has to take to play this particular role."

Three years spent finding the character’s motivation

The director explained that the story required a convincing emotional foundation. It took the writing team three years to establish the reasons behind the protagonist’s actions.
He continued, “By the end of this film, everyone will know why I am saying this. It is a dark character. It is probably more darker than any character, not probably, it is the darkest character I have written. For him to play something like that, and the only question he asked was for every character being right or wrong, is the drama right for it? Is there a reason for it? It took us 3 years to come up with that reasoning, to arrive at that point to validate why that character does what he does. At the end, he said let us do it. It is very risky for a star of his magnitude. For someone who is loved all over the country. What he is doing is absolutely brave.”


Prashanth Neel described the decision as an exceptionally courageous move by the actor.

'Dragon' title and first glimpse unveiled

The film was earlier known by the working title NTRNeel. The official title, 'Dragon', was announced with a powerful teaser released just ahead of Jr NTR’s birthday on May 19.


Sharing the teaser online, the makers wrote, "#NTRNeel is #Dragon Here’s the #DragonGlimpse taking you into its world and characters." The first glimpse introduces a grim and atmospheric setting. The story unfolds in 1967 and draws inspiration from the Golden Triangle and the global opium trade.