Vijay Deverakonda stopped taking my calls: Rahul Ramakrishna

Hyderabad: Actor Rahul Ramakrishna, best remembered as Shiva, Vijay Deverakonda’s loyal friend in Arjun Reddy, has revealed why the two actors may not reunite in similar roles anytime soon.

During a recent interview with film critic Baradwaj Rangan, Rahul was asked whether he would agree if Vijay called him tomorrow and offered him another best-friend role.

“I have said no so many times that he stopped answering my calls,” Rahul replied with a laugh.

The remark appeared to be Rahul’s humorous way of addressing his reluctance to repeatedly play the hero’s friend rather than suggesting any serious fallout between the two actors. Their pairing in the 2017 blockbuster Arjun Reddy remains one of the most memorable friendships in recent Telugu cinema.

Rahul Ramakrishna on Tollywood’s big-budget race

Elsewhere in the conversation, Rahul also shared his unfiltered thoughts on Tollywood’s rise following the success of films such as Baahubali, RRR and Pushpa.

While these blockbusters created a successful model for large-scale Telugu cinema, several films attempting to replicate the formula have failed to deliver similar results.

Rahul, however, believes that the size of a film does not determine its impact.

“A movie is just sound and light. You can make a movie for Rs 75 lakh or Rs 7,500 crore, but the goal is to entertain an audience,” he said.

His statement served as a reminder that massive budgets, elaborate sets and pan-India ambitions cannot replace engaging storytelling. For Rahul, whether a film is mounted on a modest scale or designed as a global spectacle, its ultimate test remains the same: did it entertain the audience?

The interview was published on August 21 on Galatta Plus.