‘Sheer coincidence that Vijay Deverakonda’s macho character in ‘Liger’ stammers and in real-life (ailing) Mike Tyson has this speech-lisp-slur,’ insists director Puri Jagannadh

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By Team Bollyy
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“Friendship alone will last in any relationship for several years, because sexual attraction dies very soon” Says PURI JAGANNADH

Eminent writer-director Puri Jagannadh (‘Monarch of masala movies’) with forty movies to his credit and his business partner charismatic Charmee Kaur both seem super-confident that their latest action-thriller mega-movie ‘Liger’ starring Vijay Devarakonda opposite Ananya Panday will hit the box-office bullseye - Chaitanya Padukone

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Justifies Jagannadh, “ The rousing response of the Pan-India responses to the pre-release promotional events of ‘Liger’ to both Vijay and Ananya in various cities in different zones is absolutely overwhelming.

People seem to have watched his Telugu movies like ‘Arjun Reddy’ dubbed in Hindi and loved him. As most people who know him well, are aware, that Vijay is a dedicated super-actor and an unassuming lovable person off-screen.

So cool and calm natured, yet so alert and sharp, that he knows what his next move and strategy would be,” says Puri, who has repeated Vijay (opposite Pooja Hegde) in his next directorial blockbuster Pan-India action-thriller mega-movie ‘Jana Gana Mana’ who also explains why his movie ‘Liger’ would emerge a massy entertainer with a repeat-value .

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Enthuses Jagannadh-gaaru, “ It’s a mega-budget movie with international flavor and locations with foreign artistes-fighters and eminent foreign action-choreographers . Yet it has a strong desi emotional connect with super-strong screen-characters.

It’s a simple yet engaging story of an ambitious determined mother hailing from Varanasi ( played by Ramya Krishnan) who migrates to Mumbai as she wants her son to emerge a national MMA champion and then an international top-level level fighter-boxer.

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The son also falls in love with a beautiful aristocratic girl- a drama-queen ( Ananya Panday) The fighter-son has this vocal disability that he stutters or stammers. Which I felt was a major unique feature of this Liger, Although Mike Tyson has this speech-lisp-slur vocal impediment in real-life, I was not inspired by that at all.

It’s a sheer coincidence. Actually,much before we even approached Tyson, in my script my screen-character played by Vijay was depicted with this vocal disability of stammering, “ insists Jagannadh.

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As per the latest news, 56 year old iconic boxing legend Mike Tyson is reportedly suffering from “a back sciatica flare-up’ condition was seen moving in a wheel-chair and also using a walking-stick.

What seemed scary and health-concern to the sports-media in the U.S. when Tyson apparently said that “his expiration date (death) was coming really soon and also that he wanted to die consciously ” We at bollyy.com and Mayapuri wish Mike Tyson a speedy recovery, good health and a long active life ahead.

As regards the ‘Liger’ casting director Jagannadh discloses. “ We already had Vijay on board and Dharma Production was backing us . That’s when Ananya Panday’s name was suggested by Karan Johar which we agreed to.

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The role of some rugged menacing fighter like or kind-of Mike Tyson was there in the script. Instead of approaching some other foreign fighters or look-alike boxers we decided to directly approach Tyson.

It was not easy, it took almost a year for the entire protocol process, to finally get Mike on board, “ shares Puri who also confides that he is a “ huge fan of Sridevi” and was very keen to cast daughter Janhvi Kapoor.

“Unfortunately Janhvi did not have the shooting dates available, that we required,” says director Puri who had also ‘remade and directed ’ in Hindi, his original Telugu (year 2000 ) starrer ‘Badri ( starring debutante Amisha Patel) The remake Hindi version was titled ‘Shart-The Challenge’ ( 2004) which featured Tusshar Kapoor and Gracy Singh.

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