Nagarjuna: The subject of Ratchan (The Ghost) is universal

Nagarjuna's upcoming Telugu film The Ghost will release in Tamil as Ratchan. Directed by National Award-winning filmmaker Praveen Sattaru, the film will hit the theatres on October 5.

Ahead of the release, speaking at a press conference in Chennai on Monday, Nagarjuna revealed that The Ghost has a universal subject. 

"Initially, we did not consider a multi-lingual release, but after seeing the finished product, we realised that The Ghost is a universal film, and we thought such a film would be appreciated in Tamil as well. I also expressed my interest to dub in Tamil and thanks to Ashok, Ratchan's Tamil writer, for assisting me through the dubbing process "he stated.

The actor, who was last seen in Brahmastra, noted that the pandemic-induced lockdown changed the way of film viewing as audiences began watching content beyond language boundaries. "However, now that the audiences got used to watching content on small screens, they need some X factor that will excite them to come and watch a film in the theatres. And I believe The Ghost has those exciting elements--a blend of unique action stunts and family sentiments at the core.

Noting that the film's director Praveen Sattaru worked extensively on executing unique action sequences, Nagarjuna said that he and his co-actor Sonal Chauhan underwent training. "In The Ghost, I have used a Samurai sword which is not used much in Indian films. It brings a great sense of style when handled well. It is almost like an extension of one's hand. I also took training to handle the sword."

While the male and female lead actors usually have dance sequences in the film, Praveen choreographed an action sequence for both. Nagarjuna also stated that the audiography of the film enhanced the viewing experience. 

Meanwhile, the actor congratulated Mani Ratnam for the incredible success of his latest release, Ponniyin Selvan 1. Recalling his experience working with the filmmaker, Nagarjuna said, "It has always been his dream to make Ponniyin Selvan and he had talked about it to me quite a few times. He has once again proven to be the master craftsman he has always been." He also extended his wishes to the cast and crew of the epic drama. 

Speaking about his love for Chennai, Nagarjuna said that whenever he comes to the city, it feels like a homecoming. He also added that the people here have always appreciated his performances in films like Geethanjali, Udhayam, Ratchagan, Payanam and Thozha.

The upcoming action-thriller is produced by Sri Venkateswara Cinemas and North Star Entertainment. The film also stars Gul Panag, Anikha Surendran, Manish Chaudhari, and Ravi Varma. The Ghost follows a former RAW agent Vikram, played by Nagarjuna, who is pulled back into action after his sister and niece end up in danger, which inadvertently ends up making him go to war against crime syndicates.

The music is composed by Mark K Robin, with songs by Bharath and Saurab. Mukesh G is the cinematographer, and Dinesh Subbarayan and kecha khamphadkee are the action choreographers.