In a surprising development, Ram Pothineni is reportedly all set to star in the upcoming Tamil film Dharman, directed by Ashwath Marimuthu. The makers reportedly approached Dhruv Vikram first for the role. After he turned down the offer, the team finalized Ram Pothineni. This could be a massive shift for Ram, who has been struggling as a mainstream Telugu commercial hero for some time now.
The film is said to revolve around a fierce rivalry between a father-in-law and son-in-law, with Rajinikanth and Ram sharing an intense relationship. If handled well, their combination could become one of the biggest attractions of the film. It also gives Ram an opportunity to show a completely different side of himself in Tamil cinema.
Naturally, Tollywood fans are excited about the possibility of seeing a Telugu hero in a powerful role opposite Rajinikanth. But there is one reason to be cautious.
Going by Rajinikanth’s recent track record, having a Telugu actor in his film is not automatically something to celebrate. It can actually be a reason to worry.
Just look at Coolie and Vettaiyan.
Nagarjuna was criminally wasted in Coolie. His role created huge expectations through the teaser and trailer, but the character ultimately turned out to be a damp squib. To make matters worse, he was treated like a routine villain in the climax and was killed by Rajinikanth, which further angered fans.
Vettaiyan had a similar problem with Rana Daggubati. Despite his screen presence and the expectations surrounding his casting, he ended up playing a typical corporate businessman villain. The character had very little novelty or impact.
This has become a recurring problem in Rajinikanth films. Other stars and talented actors often seem to be brought in to elevate the Superstar’s character rather than being given equally memorable roles of their own.
That is why Ram Pothineni’s role in Dharman becomes scary. Will Ram actually get a powerful character with enough depth and space to make his own mark? Or will he eventually become another actor whose role exists primarily to elevate Rajinikanth?
For now, fans can celebrate the combination. But the real excitement should begin only when we know what Ram actually gets to do in Dharman.
