Though remake of French film, Oopiri will stand out for its own reasons

Chennai: Actor Karthi believes one of the reasons forthcoming Tamil-Telugu bilingual "Thozha" has come out really well is the bond he shared with co-star Akkineni Nagarjuna and the film's director Vamshi Paidipally.

"The bond we shared was special; it helped us connect on a personal level, resulting in great camaraderie even off the sets. We bonded like brothers," Karthi, who plays a caretaker to a wheelchair-bound Nagarjuna in the film, told IANS.

"We complemented each other in such a way that even most brothers won't. And we didn't force ourselves to be that way, it just happened seamlessly. It's the story that strengthened our bond, I suppose," he said.

For Karthi, the film marks his Telugu debut, and working alongside superstar Nagarjuna was a bigger reason to cheer for.

"I wasn't sure if I had to do this film, because I'd never worked in a multi-starrer. Though I was thrilled to work with Nagarjuna sir, whom I've looked up to since his first film, it was not until I was narrated the story, I was convinced to do the project," he said, emphasising that the film is an adaptation of the French drama, "The Intouchables".

"You can't remake a French film," he said, and added: "This is an adaptation, done in a way that the soul is not tampered and even for those who've watched the original, this version will stand out for its own reasons".

Talking about working with Nagarjuna, who plays a quadriplegic millionaire in "Thozha", which will release in Telugu as "Oopiri", Karthi said: "There's so much to learn from him. I like how he always stays happy, jovial and stress-free. There was absolutely no trace of competition between us. Though restricted to a wheel-chair throughout the film, he performed with self-control and that's amazing."

Produced by PVP Cinema, the film also stars Tamannaah Bhatia, and it's slated to release on March 25 worldwide.