Appalasuri is the best role of my career: Jagapathi Babu

Veteran actor Jagapathi Babu is all praise for his role in Peddi, calling Appalasuri the finest character of his long and successful career.Speaking at a press interaction ahead of the film’s June 4 release, Jagapathi Babu said the role instantly felt special the moment he stepped into the character’s look.

“The credit for Appalasuri’s appearance goes entirely to director Buchi Babu Sana. He had a clear vision and worked closely with National Award-winning makeup artist Rashid to create the look. The moment I saw myself in the getup, I knew this character was extraordinary. I feel fortunate to have landed such a role,” he said.

The actor revealed that while he has acted in many films after Legend, only a handful of characters remain truly memorable to him.

Buchi Babu’s vision shaped Appalasuri

“Among all those roles, Appalasuri stands at the number one position. It has everything an actor could ask for—emotion, performance, and a unique appearance. Playing this character in a Ram Charan film made it even more special,” he added.

Jagapathi Babu clarified that Appalasuri is not a father figure but a character driven by immense love and affection. He emphasized that the emotional bond between Appalasuri and Ram Charan’s character forms one of the film’s strongest pillars.He also described dubbing for the role as one of the toughest experiences of his career.

“Until now, Aravinda Sametha was the most challenging film for me in terms of dubbing. But Appalasuri demanded even more effort. There were days when I spent hours recording just two lines. The dialect and emotional depth required complete dedication,” he explained.

The actor further compared Buchi Babu to director Sukumar, saying both filmmakers possess exceptional clarity of vision.

“When a director knows exactly what he wants, an actor’s work becomes much easier. Buchi Babu extracted the best from me, just like Sukumar always does.”

Ram Charan never used a body double

Speaking about working with Ram Charan again after Rangasthalam, Jagapathi Babu praised the star’s commitment. “I was amazed by the hard work Charan put into Peddi. He suffered injuries and even bled while filming. He performed every stunt himself without using a body double. Since Rangasthalam, he has continued to evolve as an actor with every film.”

Jagapathi Babu is currently busy with a big-budget web series titled Black and White for SonyLIV.