Nagarjuna: I'm looking forward to scoring a hat-trick with The Ghost

Actor Nagarjuna Akkineni is supremely confident about his upcoming Dasara release The Ghost for two reasons --- the film is a hardcore action entertainer that will take action in Telugu cinema to the next level and it's releasing on the same day as his classic Shiva (1989). "The Ghost is giving me all positive vibes of that of Shiva as this film, too, is an action entertainer blended with a dash of family drama, romance, and entertainment," he begins.

Nagarjuna says that collaborating with director Praveen Sattaru has given him an opportunity to reinvent himself. "Ever since I watched PSV Garudavega,  I have been longing to work with him. Initially, Praveen and I were supposed to team up for the Hindi remake of Raid, but working in a remake didn't excite me that much. Then I asked Praveen if he had another story for me. I think, for the first time, a director has written a script while travelling with me rather than coming up with a script well in advance. If not for Praveen, I wouldn't have done this film. He is one of the most sensible and talented directors we have in our industry. I watched the film recently and was amazed by his skillset. I am sure that his work will impress one and all," says Nagarjuna as he was all praise for the director.

The promos of The Ghost have also piqued the interest of the movie buffs and especially, the teaser about the Japanese Katana sword made of the rare and precious steel Tamahagane has become the talking point of the tinseltown. "Tamahagane has an interesting backstory to tell and if everything falls into place, we may come up with a prequel to The Ghost. Praveen has an exciting idea in mind and we may take a call depending on the fate of the film," he reveals.

A section of the audience is pointing out similarities between Nagarjuna's recent release Wild Dog and The Ghost. Interestingly, both films have Nagarjuna as an officer under a secret mission. However, Nag maintains that he found no conceivable links between the two films. "These films are poles apart. The backdrop, story, action, and emotions in both these films are completely contrasting. My roles, too, are so different and you won't even get a flash of Wild Dog while watching The Ghost," says Nagarjuna.

Interestingly, Nag saw two releases in a span of a month. "It's really an eventful year for me. I have kick-started this year with Bangarraju, which has been lapped up by the masses, and last month, my comeback film in Hindi -- Brahmastra Part One - Shiva -- has become a humongous success. Now I am looking forward to scoring a hat trick with The Ghost. Right now, I want to take a break for a month or two and decide on my next film," he says.

The 63-year-old actor, who made his debut with Vikram (1986), has now reached the 100-films mark. Spilling the beans about his milestone film, Nagarjuna, in a recent promotional event revealed that it's going to be a multi-starrer. Asked if it's going to be directed by God Father-fame Mohan Raja, Nag says, "He narrated a story and it's under pre-production. If everything goes as planned, it's going to be an out-and-out action drama and may also feature Akhil as the other lead. I also have another script ready and I will decide which fits in well with my milestone film in a month or two," concludes Nag.