Devara: Can Jr NTR Break The SS Rajamouli Curse That Previously Affected Ram Charan, Prabhas?

Devara Part 1: The Jr NTR starrer hit the big screen today, September 27. Directed by Koratala Siva, the movie marks the Telugu debut of Saif Ali Khan and Janhvi Kapoor . While fans celebrate the release of the highly anticipated film, there is some chatter about whether Devara will break the infamous Rajamouli Curse for the lead actor. The ‘curse' has previously affected Prabhas and Ram Charan, who worked with the legendary Tollywood director. However, with the hype around Devara and the box office predictions for the film, it looks like Jr NTR is in the clear.  

Devara can break the SS Rajamouli curse for Jr NTR the fourth time around? 

For the unversed, an eerie coincidence follows the fate of Tollywood movies. It is said, and observed, that actors who collaborate with the veteran director SS Rajamouli and deliver blockbuster hits with him, are doomed to fail in their next project. Jr NTR himself has been a victim of this ‘curse' three times in the past.

The actor who delivered a blockbuster with the Rajamouli film Student No 1 (2001), scored a massive flop with his next Subbu (2001). He tasted the same failure again when his film Andhrawala (2004) followed the massively successful Rajamouli's Simhadri (2003). Jr NTR could not escape the so-called curse even the third time around. After the success of Yamadonga (2007), the actor went on to feature in Kantri (2008) which underperformed at the ticketing counter.

Devara is Jr NTR's immediate release following the mega-blockbuster RRR (2022). The SS Rajamouli directorial gained not just commercial success with a worldwide collection of ₹1230 Crore, but also won global acclaim by winning prestigious awards like the Golden Globes and the Academy Award. With the release of Devara, fans are speculating whether the lead actor would be able to break free from the clutches of the curse.

Devara Part 1 box office collections indicate a good sign for Jr NTR

With Devara, Jr NTR has gained immense buzz among the audience. Fans who caught early shows of the film have been raving about it leading to a largely positive word of mouth for the movie. Industry insiders and trade experts have also predicted a bumper opening for the Janhvi Kapoor starrer.

The action thriller's pre-sales have crossed ₹40 crore gross for the opening day at the domestic box office, while the overseas sales have surpassed the ₹75 core mark, becoming one of the biggest for an Indian film. Adding the India and overseas gross collection, Devara is all set to open at ₹100 crore globally, per Sacnilk. The advanced bookings of the movie sold out within minutes. Trade expert Ramesh Bala took to his X (formerly Twitter) account to share, “#Devara FDFS reviews are good enough to become a Blockbuster at the Box office." With all optimistic signs, it seems Jr NTR might become the first actor to break free from the Rajamouli curse with the film Devara.

How did the SS Rajamouli curse impact Prabhas in Saaho and Ram Charan in Acharya

Prabhas is one of India's biggest pan-Indian actors. He earned the status from the blockbuster performance of the SS Rajamouli magnum opus Baahubali which gained the lead actor not just regional but global fame. However, as fate would have it, the actor's next Saaho did not turn out as expected. The movie massively underperformed at the box office, making it one of the actor's career-worst films in terms of business.

A similar coincidence happened with Ram Charan. The actor who received massive critical and commercial acclaim for the Rajamouli directorial RRR could not replicate the success in his next. The actor's next Acharya was released only 5 weeks after RRR. Despite Ram Charan sharing screen with his father and veteran actor Chiranjeevi in the film, Acharya failed to cross even ₹100 crore in collection. This further solidified the claims of an SS Rajamouli curse in place.