In the Telugu film industry – there’s glamour, there’s drama, there are stars – and then there is Nani. The actor has a natural sense of warmth and relatability, and is a remarkable conversationalist. Humble, honest and witty – Nani becomes one of us, as he enthusiastically speaks about his upcoming venture Krishna Gaadi Veera Prema Gadha (KGVPG).
Set in the Rayalaseema region, the film directed by Hanu Raghavapudi, tells the story of Krishna. “The most challenging for us was not shooting for this movie or any of the technical aspects of this film. Choosing the title was the hardest task for us all,” shares Nani. “Since this film is set in a rural backdrop, we wanted it to represent a sense of nostalgia. In an era where everything is getting smaller – from the size of our clothes to our film titles – we wanted something longer, which would also send across the message of the film,” he says.
In a first, Nani plays the role of a die-hard fan of Nandamuri Balakrishna. In fact, he also sports a ‘Jai Balayya’ tattoo in the film, and the actor says he loved every minute of it.
“My character Krishna is basically a coward, who poses as an over-confident fellow in order to mask his fears. The fact that he is a Balakrishna fan is not something random, it has a strong link to the story,” informs Nani.
The actor, who rose to fame with Ashta Chamma in 2008, teams up with Andaala Rakshashi director Hanu Raghavapudi with whom he shares an interesting history.
“I had rejected Hanu thrice before finally working in this movie. Initially he had approached me for Andala Rakshashi but I didn’t like it, I thought it was not me. Later, there were a couple more scripts but for some reason or the other, they just dint work out. But with this film, we would have long discussions and every time we met, there were more updates and the story progressed wonderfully,” explains the 31-year-old.
Nani is at the peak of his career, following the astonishing success of Bhale Bhale Mogaadivoi, which turned out to be one of the biggest blockbusters of 2015. Nani feels that the film’s success is an indication that the way movies are made and perceived by the audience are changing.
“There was a time when once the audience accepts a hero, they would watch his movies regardless of its content. But now, people have lesser patience and there are more options available. The success of Bhale Bhale Mogadivoi is a warning served by the audience, that they would accept content and not stars,” the actor observes.
Admitting that the success of Bhale Bhale Mogadivoi came as a shock to him and his crew members, Nani reveals that it was a film which he shot effortlessly.
“Ironically, for a film like Janda Pai Kapiraju, I worked very hard and prepared myself for the role. But the film did not work. On the other hand, I did Bhale Bhale... playfully and casually and the result was stupendous,” he grins.
Despite his recent success, Nani remains grounded and has a very laidback approach to success. After back-to-back hits with Yevade Subramanyam and Bhale Bhale Mogadivoi, Nani says there’s no pressure on him to deliver a hattrick.
“If my films don’t work, then there is pressure. But if they are doing well, why should there be? I’m extremely relaxed and confident. For any actor, there’s happiness when a moviue does well and sadness when it doesn’t. It’s pretty much black and white for me that way,” the actor expresses.
Considering he plays a Balayya fan in KGVPG, were they tempted to rope in the real Balayya for a cameo?
“Yes, we were. In fact, Balayya garu came to know that I was essaying his fan in the movie and he would constantly enquire about the shooting. We thought of asking him to play a cameo but then decided against it because we felt that it won’t be very realistic for a fan to meet his idol, I mean what are the odds? We felt that it would be better to leave him just as a fan and not take too many cinematic liberties,” he points out.
The success of Bhale Bhale Mogadivoi catapulted him into the big leagues and Nani’s sense of humour has been widely appreciated. While letting us know that KGVPG has comedy right through the film, Nani says that he has taken a decision not to do serious films any longer. “Obviously, not every film will turn out like Bhale Bhale... but I decided that I will only do humourous and entertaining roles from now on. The roles will all be different but it will be more entertaining. I feel that I have formed a connect with the audience this way and I can see that for myself. So I would like to stick to that going forward,” he informs.
Up next, Nani will team up with Ashta Chamma director Mohan Krishna Indraganti for a film.
“We are teaming up after eight years so it’s obviously a special film. It’s going to be packed with entertainment,” he signs off.
Also featuring newcomer Mehreen Kaur, Krishna Gaadi Veera Prema Gadha will hit screens on Friday.