Hope to break hero image with 'Dhruva': Ram Charan

Chennai, Dec 8: Actor Ram Charan, who awaits the release of Telugu action-thriller "Dhruva", says he really hopes to break away from hero-centric films and image with the film when it hits the screens worldwide on Friday.

"As an actor, it's very important to constantly keep changing and reinventing with new stories, and that's what I'm doing with 'Dhruva'. I hope I get to break away from the hero image set by my previous films, which were mostly hero-centric," Ram Charan told IANS.

"Dhruva" is the official remake of Tamil blockbuster "Thani Oruvan", and it's directed by Surender Reddy.

Admitting there was some level of tension while working on the project, he said, "Since it's a remake, it's quite normal to be tense but, at the same time, we were confident as we believed in the content. I'm hoping the remake will be better than the original."

How did he handle the pressure of living up to the expectations set by the original?

"I tried to stay as true as possible to my character and even though we haven't made too many changes to the script, I've brought in my own style to make it stand out. The overall experience has been very satisfying and that's what matters the most," he added.

In the film, he will be seen playing an IPS officer and takes actor Arvind Swami, who plays a suave and conniving antagonist, head on.

One of the highlights of the film is Ram Charan's physical transformation. He went on a veggie diet, worked closely with celebrity fitness expert Rakesh Udiyar, to sport a highly fit and muscular body.

For the first time in his career, he has gone shirtless in the film.

"I went shirtless because the script demanded it. Since I play a cop, we felt a toned body will add to the part," he said.

Ram Charan, meanwhile, is excited about his father Chiranjeevi's 150th film, "Khaidi No 150", which marks his debut as a producer.

He also confirms he's in talks with filmmaker Mani Ratnam for a project.

"In the second half of next year, some development in this regard can be expected. I also have a film with director Sukumar," he concluded.