Vijay Deverakonda Beat 20,000 To Grab His First Big Break!

Before the madness of Blockbuster Arjun Reddy or the nationwide stardom, Vijay Deverakonda was just another face in the crowd, literally one among thousands chasing a shot at cinema. At the launch of Dil Raju Dreams in Hyderabad, Vijay stepped away from the spotlight for a moment and reflected on where it all began. And it wasn’t with a blockbuster. It was a quiet, coming-of-age film: Life is Beautiful.

In 2012, Vijay was fresh out of college, desperate for a foot in the door. “Every day, I’d check Idlebrain for casting calls,” he said. “When I saw that Sekhar Kammula was casting for a film, I applied without second thought.” What followed wasn’t instant success. Six months of auditions, waiting, uncertainty, and hope. Out of 20,000 hopefuls, he was one of the 12 chosen. Alongside him? Naveen Polishetty, another future star. “That small film gave me something huge, purpose,” Vijay said.

He didn’t deliver a polished speech to the young crowd; it was more like a conversation with people who know what it's like to wait for a callback. “I know that feeling,” he said. “Just one yes can change your life.” And as Dil Raju announced the launch of a platform for new talent, Vijay's message was simple: someday, one of you will stand where I am, telling this same story with your own name in it.

For the record, Vijay’s first film was Nuvvila, but it was Life is Beautiful that gave him direction. Since then, he’s made noise with The Family Star, dropped in on Kalki 2898 AD, and is lining up projects like Kingdom and a new one with Rahul Sankrithyan. But none of it happened overnight; it started with a crowded audition room and the grit to keep showing up.