Exclusive - Sunny and Maanas on their Sankranthi special 'Naatu Naatu' performance: None can match Ram Charan and Jr NTR

There are many mass numbers and then there is Naatu Naatu from SS Rajamouli's upcoming magnum opus RRR. There are many special performances on the song but Bigg Boss BFFs Sunny and Maanas' performance on the same in the upcoming Sankranthi special show 'Maa Sankranthi Veduka' promises to be rare and very special. The latest teaser of the show featuring Sunny and Maanas nailing the signature moves of Jr NTR and Ram Charan besides some risky stunts has left fans wanting for more. ETimes TV got the two besties talking about their special performance, their preparation, the coincidence, and much more. Excerpts..

(By SriRaam Chelluri)

I was blown over watching Naatu Naatu for the first time. No one can match the performance of Ram Charan garu and Jr NTR garu. Any replica of it can only become the second best. Ours was just a humble attempt to entertain everyone.

Honestly, we never had the slightest idea about this comparison of our friendship with Jr NTR-Ram Charan's from RRR. It feels really nice the way people appreciate our friendship. But at times, it feels like a scary comparison, too. When I heard the song for the first time in the BB house, I only knew it was sung by Rahul Sipligunj. I realized it was from RRR only towards the end of the show. The music, movements, and everything about the song is next level. Since we already knew we can't match up to the original, we only focused on getting the moves right (laughs).

When I was offered the song, I was in fact ready to play any character. When I was given Ram Charan garu's role, I was more than happy. Usually, I'm the 'fire' and Maanas is the 'water' element in real life. Guess, our on-screen roles also matched now (laughs). But again, this is challenging as millions of their fans would be watching us. We've performed with utmost sincerity and rigorous rehearsals for nearly 3 days. We had a lot of fun while shooting for the entire sequence.

Both (Ram Charan and NTR) are dancing icons in their own way. They have unparalleled prowess and grace. I just love how NTR garu's postures and movements look just flawless. Guess his training in classical dance also helps. So, our focus here was just getting the signature moves right. I loved how Nataraj Master balanced us in the entire 6-minute odd act.

It was one tough act and we just had one mock drill. The rope sequence was the most challenging part. My entire body weight was on my single hands as I was suspended in the air. Myself and Maanas had to balance our entire weight on our hands and then complete the act bearing a lot of pain. We finished the shoot at 5 AM. But the entire shoot went hassle-free and the energy on the sets was just phenomenal. I must thank Nataraj Master and the entire team for taking all the safety precautions and amazingly executing a very challenging act like this. They, too, deserve the standing ovation that we got towards the end.

This was a rare act with some risky stunts. But right from the costumes to the rope sequence, everything was meticulously planned and executed. We had to endure some pain while performing as our entire body weight fell on our wrists. But Nataraj Master and his team pulled this off with ease and perfection. It was almost 5 AM when we wrapped up the shoot but the energy on the sets was just amazing. More than an ovation, the celebration for our performance is memorable indeed. This is what we look forward to as actors. A tap on the back is what we seek and strive for.

I can see people appreciating our performance from the promos only. This year, it is going to be a silent Sankranthi for me with the third wave taking over. I'm finally getting to spend some me-time after all the post-BB finale hungama. I'm just looking forward to the response after watching the show on Sankranthi.

(Photo: Instagram)

I feel this is a rarity and our performance is going to remain special indeed. Many might perform on the song and get closer to replicating the song (Naatu Naatu) but finding two similar personas and friendship like that of Ram Charan and Jr NTR's in RRR and getting them to perform to Naatu Naatu is very rare and special, too. I hope everyone enjoys it just like we did.

(Photo: Instagram)