It was a treat to watch Mohanlal, Jr NTR share screen space in 'Janatha Garage:' Koratala Siva

Director Koratala Siva, who is busy promoting his next venture, "Janatha Garage," says he had a great time working with actors Mohanlal and Junior NTR and it was a treat for him to see them in a single frame.

The makers of "Janatha Garage" have kept its story under wraps. Its trailer shows that Malayalam superstar Mohanlal is playing the role of an expert mechanic, while Junior NTR appears as a student. Koratala Siva says both the actors have delivered electrifying performances and working with them in the action-drama film gave him a cinematic high.

"Every filmmaker wishes to work with and capture Mohanlal and Junior NTR in a single frame. The kind of energy their mere presence brought to "Janatha Garage" is nothing short of a cinematic high. It was a treat to watch them share screen space. When it comes to performance, not many stars complement each other the way these two have in the film," the director told IANS

Junior NTR was all thrilled to hear Siva's narration of the story of "Janatha Garage." "Even in the ideation stage, I believed he was the perfect choice. When he heard the script, the way he reacted, and the way he expressed, pumped me up. As a director, it's very important that his actor expresses how excited he is about the project. NTR knew exactly how to get me excited and I strove hard to maintain that level of excitement throughout the shoot," Koratala Siva said.

The director says he has changed Junior NTR's style, but tried to showcase him in a never-before way. "He's a very expressive actor. All the heroes I've worked with so far have their own styles. NTR too has a unique style and I didn't try and tamper with it. Instead, I used it in a way that hasn't been portrayed before," he said.

"A lot of people asked why not an actor from Telugu industry in the place of Mohanlal. I won't answer that question. However, I'd like to tell them why Mohanlal. It's because I wanted an actor of his stature for the role. I also realised somewhere that both NTR and Mohanlal, who make a great combo, share some similarities," Koratala Siva said, when quizzed about casting Mohanlal for "Janatha Garage."

"Janatha Garage" is set to be the third consecutive hit movie for Siva after "Mirchi" and "Srimanthudu." The director is curious to know how the viewers will received the movie. "More than the pressure, I'm curious about how audiences will receive the film. I feel like a school boy who is anxiously waiting for results," the director said.

"We are all driven by success. Every filmmaker wants his film to succeed and I'm no exception. However, I don't get involved in the box-office numbers game because I feel it's a baggage. I make a film that's very close to my heart. My team and I should believe in it," Koratala Siva added.

"Janatha Garage" offers entertainment as well as a message to society. Junior NTR is seen fighting to protect nature. "He plays a guy who loves nature. We've not tried to make a film on social awareness. Within the commercial trappings, we've included a social element," the director said.

Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Nithya Menen are playing the female leads, while Unni Mukundan, Saikumar, Devayani, Rahman and Sithara appear in the supporting roles. Kajal Aggarwal is making special appearance in the item song, "Pakka Local" in the movie, which is slated to be released in theatres on Sep 1.