Jr NTR's mention of accents in an interview he gave to Los Angeles Times has become a headline, just as the actor's own accent on the red carpet of the Golden Globes did. Speaking to LA Times with RRR co-star Ram Charan, Jr NTR touched on the commonalities of being an actor in Hollywood and in India. "We are just divided by time zones and a little bit of an accent. Other than that, what an actor goes through in the West is exactly the same process as in the East," he said. He was speaking about RRR director SS Rajamouli's international potential. "I always felt this man was not destined to make only films in Telugu or in India. He is one of those rare phenomenons who can travel the globe with his films. With each film, he's only gotten better. I feel that RRR was his plan of taking the West. What makes us very proud is that a small industry from South India, Tollywood, and one movie called RRR could open the gates to global cinema and bring us here," Jr NTR told LA Times.
Last week, Jr NTR's red carpet interview from the Golden Globes was mocked by some on social media. The actor said he hoped to be part of a Marvel project, joking that he was "waiting for the call." He said this in a vaguely American accent, something that social media was quick to pick up on.
Hope NTR jr gets a Marvel film. But this accent is cringe. Sigh pic.twitter.com/jtgeBkKWB5
— Smita Deshmukh (@smitadeshmukh) January 11, 2023
acceNTR pic.twitter.com/F1LtVOcPFx
— Xavier Uncle (@xavierunclelite) January 12, 2023
The mystery around RRR at these award shows is not how they got here with all the money spent on PR & the relentless lobbying (we have already seen this scene with Slumdog). The only real mystery is what exactly is the accent that NTR Jr. going for? pic.twitter.com/PTnM7dpCl7
— Stop the Gaustapo (@atlasdanced) January 11, 2023
Woah! Jr NTR got the accent pic.twitter.com/YpM5Q0JDZ7
— The Curry Muncher (@Paprikaashh) January 11, 2023
Others, like actor Gulshan Devaiah, pointed out that code-switching was a thing and should be received positively:
I think NTR's accent is firstly not as bad as people are making it out to be, secondly it's a calculated PR strategy. Take it easy..let him try to spread his wings & fly. It's good for Indian cinema if he breaks through the Hollywood global market. We all stand to gain from it.
— "SuperGullu" (@gulshandevaiah) January 11, 2023
RRR has powered its way around the globe, gathering adoring fans as it went. It won the Golden Globe for Best Original Song, two awards at the Critics Choice Awards and is expected to feature in the Oscar nomination slate to be announced next week.
RRR is set in the 1920s and stars Ram Charan and Jr NTR as real-life freedom fighters Alluri Sitaramaraju and Komaram Bheem. Alia Bhatt and Ajay Devgn also appear in the film as do British actors Ray Stevenson and Alison Doody.
