Actor-producer Nani has steadily carved his own path in
Telugu cinema
with a mix of experimental and massy films, but now, he finds himself in a position that even he admits feels surreal — producing a film for
megastar Chiranjeevi
. While the association alone would overwhelm most, Nani insists that it’s not the star power of Chiranjeevi that weighs heavy on him, but the responsibility of doing justice to the legend’s stature.
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“For me, it’s definitely a bigger responsibility, 100%,” Nani confesses. “And it’s not about the biggest star coming on to the set and me as a producer — first of all, all of us are his fanboys. We’ve grown up watching Chiranjeevi. So, to do what is right, not just on location or on the set, but for him. That matters more than anything else.”
The film, which brings together Chiranjeevi and director
Srikanth Odela
, was not a project Nani went chasing after. In fact, the actor-producer reveals that it was the megastar himself and the director who reached out to him.
“I didn’t pitch the film to him,” Nani clarifies. “It was actually Chiranjeevi sir and Srikanth who decided they wanted to work together and then they pitched it to me. I think it’s the trust both Srikanth and Chiranjeevi have in me that made it happen. But it’s a golden opportunity, and now I just want to show my love through this project.”
For Nani, the idea of ‘handling’ a superstar like Chiranjeevi isn’t something that unnerves him. Instead, his focus is firmly on the legacy they’re attempting to honour through this collaboration.
“I’m not worried about how I’ll handle Chiranjeevi — that’s not a concern,” he says, shaking his head. “What matters to us is whether we’ll be able to give our best tribute to Chiranjeevi through this film. That’s where our focus is.”
Nani is currently focussed on his next release
Hit: The Third Case
which is slated to release on 1st May.