Korean Kanakaraju, Non-Stop Entertainer: Varun Tej

Mega Prince Varun Tej believes Korean Kanakaraju marks one of the most demanding roles of his career, not because of action or emotion alone, but because of the complete transformation it required.

Speaking ahead of the film’s release, the actor revealed that director Merlapaka Gandhi wanted audiences to see Kanakaraju rather than Varun Tej on screen. To achieve that, the team redesigned everything, including his hairstyle, appearance and overall body language. For the first time, Varun even coloured his hair to suit the Korean-inspired look.

The transformation wasn’t limited to visuals. He spent considerable time learning the Rayalaseema dialect and understanding Korean pronunciation, while also working extensively with comedian Sathya to build believable chemistry. Their comic timing, he says, came after extensive rehearsals and homework.

Varun explained that the character carries two completely different dimensions, making it one of the most satisfying performances of his career. “I love learning new things, and that’s one of the reasons I became an actor. Playing new characters and living different lives excites me. I always try my best to disappear into the character so that audiences see only the role, not me.

Korean Kanakaraju is a non-stop entertainer. However, cutting a trailer for a comedy film is always challenging because comedy works best when viewed within the context of the scenes. Extracting jokes for a trailer doesn’t always have the same impact. That’s why we focused from the beginning on promoting it as a complete comedy entertainer.”

Happy with the early booking trends, Varun said audiences have already responded positively to the teaser, trailer and songs. That confidence has encouraged the team to promote the film aggressively, and he is convinced the entertainer will connect with viewers across all sections.