Siddhu Jonnalagadda says ‘Jack’ balances humour with an investigative-action story
Ahead of the release of Jack, actor Siddhu Jonnalagadda says the Telugu film retains the humour audiences associate with his Tillu roles while preserving its central dramatic concerns. He also discusses focusing solely on acting, his collaboration with director Bhaskar and his continuing work as a writer on future projects.
Telugu actor Siddhu Jonnalagadda says his new film Jack will use humour without weakening its central story. The investigative action entertainer, written and directed by Bhaskar, is scheduled for release on April 10. Jack is Siddhu’s first project in several years in which he has not also worked as a co-writer, co-editor or creative producer.
He said concentrating only on acting was initially unfamiliar but eventually became a welcome break from handling several aspects of filmmaking. The actor became widely associated with humorous dialogue after the success of DJ Tillu and Tillu Square. He said audiences expected comic lines from him, and that he and Bhaskar had decided not to remove that element entirely from Jack.
At the same time, Siddhu said he was conscious of avoiding a fixed image. He described Jack as a film dealing with larger issues, adding that the humour would not dilute its core. His character, named Pablo Neruda, is called after the Chilean poet by his mother, a detail he believes may prompt younger viewers to learn more about the name.
Siddhu is reuniting with Bhaskar, with whom he worked on the 2010 film Orange in a brief role. He said that, as the lead actor in Jack, he had extensive discussions with the director to understand the filmmaker’s vision. The film also contains dialogue that was improvised during filming.
Siddhu said a scene in which his character reacts humorously to an opponent’s long monologue emerged from the frustration of someone who talks too much. His other upcoming project, Telusu Kada, is described as an intense romantic drama. He will then begin work on Badass, which he has co-written with director Ravikanth Perepu.
Siddhu credited his understanding of script structure partly to observing editor Navin Nooli during the Tillu films. He said disagreements with trusted collaborators, including Ravikanth and Tillu Square director Mallik Ram, helped him consider different perspectives rather than surrounding himself with people who simply agreed with him.
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