When Vijay Deverakonda recalled the time he used to do 'anything' for ₹10,000

ITDC INDIA EPRESS / ITDC NEWS : who was last seen in Liger in 2022, is awaiting the release of his next Telugu film Kushi with Samantha Ruth Prabhu. The actor, whose birthday falls on May 9, can afford to be choosy with his projects now. But when he was starting out in the industry, he used to take up all sorts of gigs just to earn ₹10,000. While money was a necessity before, it no longer is a factor for his career decisions anymore.

Vijay made his acting debut with the rom-com Nuvvila in 2011. Another key role early in his career was with Yevade Subramanyam alongside actor Nani in 2015. He graduated to the lead role with the National Film Award-winning feature Pelli Choopulu in 2016. But it was Sandeep Reddy Vanga's romantic drama Arjun Reddy which made him a household name in 2017. He won the Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Telugu for his portrayal of the angry alcoholic doctor who is on a self-destructive streak after losing his girlfriend. After the success of the film, things began to get easier for the actor.

In an 2019 interview with Film Companion, the actor recalled, "I've done lots of things for money in the past. There were movies that I did for money. There were small gigs where I had to make some sort of appearance. There's a music video I did purely because I was planning to buy a house and I fell short of money. There was a time when I hustled and did anything that gave me ₹10,000 and above. I was ready to do it because it was a necessity."

He added, "Now money doesn't excite me. It's still important because I need to be paid for what I do. I know what I deserve and only if that is paid will I work. But it's not a factor in decision making. Even if you show me obscene amounts of money I will not do something I don't like."

Last week, Vijay announced his latest film, tentatively titled VD 12. Also starring Sreeleela, the Telugu feature will be helmed by Jersey (2019) director Gowtam Tinnanuri. Vijay is said to play a police officer in the film.