It seems to have been an unusual time for Pradeep Ranganathan last week, as he was busy promoting his Diwali release, Dude. From being asked if he’s trying to ape Dhanush to being told he’s ‘not hero material’, the Tamil actor-filmmaker faced it all during press meets in Hyderabad.
On the weekend episode of Bigg Boss 9, Nagarjuna, however, reassured the actor by comparing him to ‘merupu teega’ (flash of lightning) like Rajinikanth and Dhanush. Here’s what he said.
Nagarjuna compares Pradeep Ranganathan to Rajinikanth
During the weekend episode, Pradeep visited Bigg Boss Telugu 9 to promote Dude. Host Nagarjuna was all praise for the actor when he said, “A few decades back, a merupu teega came to cinema and changed its fate. His name is Rajinikanth. A few decades later, there came another merupu teega who was skinny, someone who attracted the youth, Dhanush came. Now, a few decades later, I am seeing Pradeep.”
Pradeep seemed overwhelmed at the praise as he replied, “Sir, those are really big words, and when it comes from you, it really means the world to me.” Nagarjuna then said, “I have seen both your films, and I really love them. They’re so updated to today’s youth. It’s hard to tell a heart-touching story in contemporary style. Be it Love Today or Dragon, they’re the kind of films that break language barriers.”
Pradeep Ranganathan called ‘not hero material’
At a press meet in Hyderabad last week, Pradeep was asked, “Don’t take this negatively, but you don’t look like hero material. Is hard work or luck behind the kind of fan following you have?”
Before Pradeep could answer, his co-star Sarathkumar took the mike and replied, “You cannot say A-Z who is a hero material; everybody here is hero material. There are no specifications for what a hero must look like. A person doing any act that benefits society is a hero. The question you asked might not be negative, but you could’ve just asked him why he isn’t a bodybuilder like Sarathkumar.”
Pradeep also insisted on answering the question. He thought before replying, “Hard work is there. And obviously, I’ve been thinking about this for a few months. The love I’m getting …there are a lot of talented people like me. But this has happened to me, and I also think it’s God’s grace. More importantly, I think people see themselves in me. So when they see the screen, they feel they’re the hero. They’re acting in it, they’re doing romance, fighting. So when they see themselves in me, I am already a hero.”
At a separate press meet, Telugu actor Kiran Abbavaram, while promoting his upcoming film K Ramp, rebuked the reporter for asking Pradeep the question. “You ask me any question, I will answer. You tell me anything, and I will take it. Because at the end of the day, we co-exist,” he said, adding, “But it is not okay to demean and body shame an actor who came here from another state to promote his film. I don’t think it’s right.”