Once A Clapper Boy, Then An RJ And Now A Superstar, The Making Of Nani

Viewers often enjoy the films of superstars like Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, MGR, Thalapathy Vijay and others. It would be a foolish thought to believe that the journey of these superstars bears no obstacles. There is a superstar in the Telugu industry who initially wanted to become a director but was insulted by his seniors. He also took radio jockey as a profession and received a pay cheque of Rs 2,500, which unfortunately bounced. Today, he reportedly earns Rs 22 crore for each film. The superstar in conversation is Nani, who gave back-to-back hits last year with the film Dasara and Hi Nanna.

Nani, as an undergraduate, got addicted to movies citing Mani Ratnam as a major influence. He aspired to be a director and got to work in Anil Koneru’s production film Radha Gopalalm as a clap director alongside director Bapu. He then assisted in the direction for the films including Allari Bullodu, Astram, Dhee and others. Nani reportedly faced many insults while working as an assistant director. The actor revealed in some interviews that he felt bad when a director told him that he would never become a director. He was disheartened with these words as it was a direct hit on his dreams.

Nani recalled in some interviews that a film director had insulted him a lot. “He insulted me badly in front of everyone. He cursed me that I will never be a director and that I don’t have the qualities to be a real director,” said Nani. He said that it was his dream to become a director and was very difficult to bear it after insults. He took a sabbatical to work on a film script. During this, he was offered a position as a Radio Jockey. The actor worked there for one year and hosted a program named ‘Non-Stop Nani’.

Director Mohan Krishna Indraganti noticed Nani in an advertisement and offered a role in the film Ashta Chamma. His performance was well appreciated and received numerous offers. He rose to fame through the film Eega which was directed by SS Rajamouli. The actor then never looked back. His films like Nenu Local, Middle-Class Abbayi, Ninnu Kori, Devadas and Jersey made him one of the most loving actors in the South film industry.

He will be next seen in the film Saripodhaa Sanivaaram. It is directed by Vivek Athreya.