‘I have a heart of stone, but I cried’: Ravi Teja gets emotional after watching Irumudi, reveals what moved him most

Ravi Teja maintained a relatively low profile during the promotions of Irumudi, but the actor is now speaking at length about the film after witnessing its response from audiences.

The Telugu star reflected on the emotional impact of the movie, the people who helped bring it to life and the reactions he has seen from moviegoers.

Most strikingly, Ravi Teja admitted that the film managed to do something unusual make him cry.

“I have a heart of stone and I normally don’t cry. But after watching Irumudi, I cried for the first time,” the actor said.

‘Seeing the audience’s reaction brought tears to my eyes’

For Ravi Teja, the emotion was not limited to what happened on screen.

The actor said seeing conversations about Irumudi across social media and the wider media, along with audience reactions, became an emotional experience in itself.

He was particularly moved to see people who had visited cinemas to watch his films around 20 years ago returning to theatres for Irumudi.

“This happiness is something else,” he said.

For an actor whose career has stretched across decades, watching longtime viewers return to theatres appears to have made the film’s success particularly personal.

Even Ravi Teja’s daughter Moksha cried

Ravi Teja singled out GV Prakash Kumar’s music as one of the most important reasons behind the movie’s emotional impact.

Calling the music the “soul of Irumudi,” he said the score naturally amplifies the film’s emotions.

According to the actor, his daughter Moksha was also moved while watching the movie.

“When you watch the film, the music automatically brings tears to the audience’s eyes. Even my daughter Moksha cried while watching the film,” Ravi Teja said.

His comments underline how central he believes the background score and music are to the movie’s emotional storytelling.

Ravi Teja knew Trinadh was special

The actor also recalled his initial reaction when director Shiva approached him with the character Trinadh and the title Irumudi.

He said the concept immediately stood out.

“When director Shiva told me about the character Trinadh and the title Irumudi, I immediately felt that it was on another level,” Ravi Teja recalled.

The actor went on to praise the filmmaker not only for the finished movie but also for remaining grounded despite its success.

He thanked Shiva for bringing the project together and described him as someone who has remained unchanged by the overwhelmingly positive response.

‘GV Prakash Kumar’s music is the soul of Irumudi’

While Ravi Teja praised several departments, his comments about GV Prakash Kumar were particularly emphatic.

The actor believes the composer’s work plays a fundamental role in making the emotional moments land with audiences.

Rather than treating the soundtrack as something accompanying the story, Ravi Teja described it as the movie’s soul an element capable of transforming individual scenes and drawing viewers further into Trinadh’s journey.

Priya Bhavani Shankar earns special praise

Priya Bhavani Shankar also received strong praise from Ravi Teja for her performance.

He specifically highlighted two scenes in the second half, saying her work in those sequences played an important role in strengthening the film’s emotional impact.

“She gave an excellent performance. The two scenes she did in the second half helped tremendously in bringing out the emotion in the film,” he said.

Ravi Teja also praised Baby Nakshatra, saying the young performer had done an “amazing job” and predicting a bright future for her.

Supporting actors impress Ravi Teja

The actor made a point of acknowledging the film’s supporting performers as well.

He praised Komaram, Bharagav and Kishore, saying each had delivered impressive performances.

“They gave amazing performances and have done a superb job. They all have a bright future,” he said.

His comments reflect the ensemble nature of Irumudi, with Ravi Teja crediting several supporting characters for helping create the world around his central performance.

Ravi Teja praises the technicians behind Irumudi

The technical team also received plenty of appreciation.

Ravi Teja praised art director Sai Suresh for helping create the film’s natural and authentic visual environment, while describing him as a genuine person who openly speaks his mind.

He also applauded cinematographer Vishnu Sharma for his work behind the camera.

Action choreographer Sai Satish was another name Ravi Teja singled out, with the actor expressing his desire to collaborate with him on more films in the future.

His manager predicted Irumudi would be a ‘superhit’

Ravi Teja also revealed that his manager Srinivas had enormous confidence in the movie long before its success became apparent.

According to the actor, Srinivas repeatedly predicted that Irumudi would become a “superhit.”

With the film receiving a strong response, Ravi Teja said that confidence had now proved justified.

The actor also thanked producers Ravi and Naveen, describing them as close friends and expressing his desire to work with them again.

Pandemic changed the kind of stories Ravi Teja wanted to make

Perhaps one of Ravi Teja’s more revealing comments concerned how his viewing habits during the Covid-19 pandemic influenced his approach towards films.

Like millions of viewers, the actor spent considerable time watching movies on OTT platforms.

ALSO READ : ‘Dharman’ Surprise on the Way? Shriya Saran’s ‘Happy Day’ With Rajinikanth Sparks Reunion Buzz

He said he watched numerous Tamil and Malayalam films during that period and became particularly impressed by how rooted many of those stories felt.

That experience made him want to see similarly grounded storytelling being explored more frequently in his own industry.

For Ravi Teja, Irumudi appears to represent exactly that kind of film.

Irumudi becomes a deeply personal success for Ravi Teja

Box-office numbers can measure the commercial performance of a movie, but Ravi Teja’s comments suggest that Irumudi means something more personal to him.

From watching his daughter cry to seeing longtime fans return to theatres decades later, the actor appears to have been affected as much by the audience’s relationship with the film as by the story itself.

He praised nearly every major department direction, music, cinematography, art direction, action, supporting actors and producers rather than presenting the success as his alone.

But one line perhaps captures his feelings better than any box-office figure could.

“I have a heart of stone and I normally don’t cry. But after watching Irumudi, I cried for the first time.”

For a star known for his high-energy screen persona, that admission may be one of the strongest endorsements Irumudi could receive.