Actor Vijay Deverakonda has spoken at length about his bond with director Sandeep Reddy Vanga, revealing that neither of them had money, influence or connections when they made Arjun Reddy in 2017, and that the Vanga family staked their entire savings on the film.

Speaking at the trailer launch of Romanchakam on Sunday, the actor gave an emotional account of what they went through together before Arjun Reddy changed both their lives. “I can’t put into words the love I have for him. It’s not just a director-actor relationship, not like brothers, not even just friends. It’s something else,” Vijay said. “Back then, when we were together, it was like being at war side by side. We didn’t even know what we were doing, but if it hadn’t worked out, we’d have gone crazy. We thought, if this movie didn’t happen, that would be it.”

He said the period before Arjun Reddy was one of the most mentally exhausting phases of his life. “I was mentally exhausted, totally lost. I didn’t know what to do. At that time, neither of us had any money,” he said.

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Vijay was blunt about how invisible both he and Sandeep felt before Arjun Reddy. “No influence, no pull, no connections. None of you were there,” he said

Before August 2017, when Arjun Reddy released on a Rs 5 crore budget and went on to gross Rs 51 crore worldwide, neither the actor nor the director had any significant standing in the Telugu film industry.

Vijay revealed that it was Pranay Reddy Vanga, Sandeep’s brother, and their father Prabhakar who put up the money to make Arjun Reddy, using their family’s savings to fund the production. “Sandeep, Pranay, and Uncle Prabhakar, all of them put in sweat and effort to make the movie, trusting Sandeep,” Vijay said. “You’re staking your entire family’s earnings and your future on one film.”

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What stood out most in Vijay’s comments was what he said he missed. “I miss Sandeep. Not success, not what Arjun Reddy became. But I miss him forever, the days we spent together, all the moments we shared. Building up, sharing life, sharing stress, sharing all the doses, bottles,” he said.

“When it comes to Sandeep, I’ll go as far as he does, and he does the same for me,” Vijay said. “If you don’t show up when he calls, it’s just a waste of life.”

Since Arjun Reddy, Vijay Deverakonda has become one of Telugu cinema’s biggest stars, delivering hits like Geetha Govindam, Dear Comrade and Kingdom. His upcoming film Ranabaali, a period action drama with Rashmika Mandanna, is set for an October 16 release.

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Sandeep Reddy Vanga, meanwhile, went on to remake Arjun Reddy as Kabir Singh with Shahid Kapoor, and directed Animal with Ranbir Kapoor. He is currently shooting Spirit with Prabhas, confirmed for a March 5, 2027 release. He and Vijay have also announced plans to release an extended cut of Arjun Reddy for the film’s 10th anniversary in August 2027.

Romanchakam, directed by Venu Gopal Reddy and starring Sumanth Prabhas and Ananthika Sanilkumar, releases in theatres on September 3.