What’s common among Chiranjeevi starrer Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy, Venkatesh’s Aata Nade Veta Nade and Naga Chaitanya’s upcoming multistarrer film? Well, the respective directors of these films have earlier helmed projects featuring actors from the same family. And while it’s not surprising when an actor and a successful filmmaker unite to recreate magic at the box office, the catch here is that these Tollywood stars are basking in the glory of the directors’ success.
Venkatesh
Talking about Surender Reddy, who is helming the Chiranjeevi starrer Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy, the director’s earlier film Dhruva featuring Ram Charan (Chiranjeevi’s son), was so successful that it prompted the megastar to rope him for his next. Ask Chiranjeevi why did he choose Surender for the period drama, and he reveals, “Sye Raa is a historical film that required extensive research and we also needed a filmmaker like Suri (Surender), who could get to the core of the plot and explore such a rich script. And I am very pleased with the way the script has shaped out!”
Naga Chaitanya
The 41-year-old director, on the other hand, feels that directing Chiranjeevi is a huge responsibility. “I think he believed in my potential and was impressed with my working style and approach to filmmaking during Dhruva.” He felt that together we could recreate the magic if we teamed up for an interesting film. But I’m blessed and fortunate to get the opportunity to work on a historical script,” he says.
Ram Charan
Even Venkatesh’s recently launched Aata Nade Veta Nade, is being directed by Teja — the filmmaker who has garnered much acclaim for the Rana Daggubati starrer Nene Raju Nene Mantri. Ask Teja the reason for helming a project with a hero from the Daggubati clan, and the outspoken director explains, “I think success is a critical factor — more important than anything else,” adding, “I committed to this project a long time back, so I need to honour it.” Similarly, Director V.V. Vinayak, who earlier took the mantle of helming Chiranjeevi’s comeback film, Khaidi No 150, is now directing Sai Dharam Tej’s (Chiranjeevi’s nephew) film.
Another director joining the list of such filmmakers is Kalyan Krishna, who has been loyal to the Akkineni parivar. After working with Nagarjuna for the superhit film Soggade Chinni Nayana, Kalyan was asked to wield the megaphone for his son Naga Chaitanya’s Rarandoi Veduka Choodaam, which fared quite well at the box office. And now, Kalyan is directing another multi-starrer with Chay.
“Kalyan is a sensible director who can bring out family emotions well, and I had a good experience working with him. I thought he could showcase an unseen side of Chay for a new set of family audience in Rarandoi Veduka Choodaam. And I stand vindicated,” expresses Nagarjuna.
Next up is Puri Jagannadh! When Jr NTR went for a makeover for Puri’s film, Temper, it surprised many. And soon after the film opened to great reviews, Kalyan Ram (another hero from Nandamuri camp) wasted no time in teaming up with the director. But the question is — did he work with Puri only because Temper was a success? “I’ve always felt that Puri garu is an excellent writer. Also, he’s second to none when it comes to giving a makeover to actors. At a time when I was looking for a makeover, I felt my brother’s (NTR) transformation came like a breath of fresh air. So I followed suit,” reasons Kalyan Ram.
