Is Kireeti Reddy’s launchpad Junior a Kannada film or a Telugu movie? The actor clarifies

Sai Korrapati’s Varaahi Chalana Chitram lists its next release, Junior, as a Telugu film that’s also been made in Kannada. This is also the general perception in film industry circles – that the movie, which introduces Gaali Janardhan Reddy’s son Kireeti Reddy to cinema, is a Telugu original that’s been dubbed in Kannada. Kireeti, though, begs to differ. In a conversation with TV9, ahead of the film’s July 18 theatrical release, Kireeti said, “I want to set the record straight. There is a misconception that Junior is a Telugu film. I was born in Karnataka and dedicate my life to Kannada. Junior has been made in Kannada."

Kireeti on the delay in the making of Junior

The film, meanwhile, was launched way back in 2022, with part of the delay down to the fact that Kireeti was out of action for a year after sustaining an injury during a stunt sequence. The young actor says that he’d insisted on doing a stunt without rope assistance and injured himself in the process, which took him a year to recover from.

Written and directed by Radhakrishna Reddy, who made the 2016 PRK Production film Mayabazar, Junior, according to Kireeti, is a family entertainer. “That’s the kind of cinema that I personally prefer. The films that I do should have a feel-good vibe about them and be compatible for all audiences,” says Kireeti, adding that vulgarity and double entendre is, therefore, a strict no-no for him.

Also read: Junior teaser: Glimpse of debutant Kireeti’s launchpad is now out 

Having said that, Kireeti adds that he did not interfere with Radhakrishna’s writing process at all, and that the latter came up with a beautiful story that everyone liked. “I am sure audiences in Kannada will also like it,” he says. While the actor is paired with Sreeleela, he is beyond thrilled to have gotten the opportunity to work with Crazy Star Ravichandran in his very first film.

“I was not involved in the casting per se, but I was quite keen to work with Ravichandran sir. To our luck, he agreed to be a part of the film and plays my father,” says Kireeti, who is also sharing screen space with Genelia Deshmukh. In fact, Junior was meant to be her comeback project, but following the delay, Sitaare Zameen Par got that distinction.