Telugu star Nani clearly remembers how his love affair with Bollywood began.
The actor, who is yet to star in a Hindi film, said he watched the Amitabh Bachchan-starrer “Agneepath” in childhood and then there was no looking back.
“I’ve watched a lot more Hindi films than people who live here (in the north). There are some amazing directors that I want to work with every time I see (their work). I’m a huge fan of Bachchan sir. My interest towards movies and wanting to make a film...
“Then even with the performance, ‘Agneepath’ played a big role in the later part. Like, when I wanted a certain intensity for the character... I always looked for a script like ‘Agneepath’, that was one childhood thing for me,” Nani told PTI in an interview here.
"Agneepath" featured Bachchan as Vijay Deenanath Chauhan, who sets out to avenge the death of his father and the injustices done to his family by becoming a part of the Mumbai underworld.
The film not only turned the actor into a movie buff but also inspired him to pen a couple of stories, including a thriller, he said.
"My inspiration for the first film was ‘Agneepath’... This is the first film which I wanted to make (as a director) when I was an assistant director, which I’ve never made...
"I still have the story, and then I’ve two or three more stories, which have to be adapted to the current times. There are a couple of directors who I’ve worked with, who know the basic idea about it, they are always like, ‘Let’s do it’." The 40-year-old credited “Agneepath”, directed by Mukul Anand and produced by Yash Johar, for redefining the quintessential Hindi cinema hero. The 1990 film, which earned Bachchan his first best actor National Award, was remade in 2012 with Hrithik Roshan in the lead.
“It played a very big part (in my life),” Nani said, re-enacting the introduction scene of Bachchan's character, "Naam, Vijay Deenanath Chauhan…" “I think that’s the greatest intro of all time. I love how he asks for the tailor's number when he meets Kancha Cheena (played by Danny Denzongpa) and Mandwa village, that mood, that set-up, that line ‘Maloom?’. Every detail about that film, it was something new for me, it hit me very strongly,” said the actor, adding he counts veteran actors Chiranjeevi and Nagarjuna among his influences.
Nani further expressed his deep admiration for Aamir Khan and the Bollywood superstar’s performances in films such as “Dil Chahta Hai”, “Lagaan” and “Rang De Basanti”.
“Before I was about to join cinema, there was a huge influence of Aamir Khan sir, his films. Then he did films like ‘Dangal’, which came after I became an actor, and it was very inspiring.
"It was like, ‘We have to up the game’. So, Hindi cinema has always been a part of this love for cinema,” he said, adding “Dilwale Dhulania Le Jayenge”, “Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam”, “Baazigar”, and “Darr” are among his favourite Bollywood films.
The "Jersey" star will next be seen in the Telugu vigilante action thriller “Saripodhaa Sanivaaram”, titled “Surya’s Saturday” in its Hindi dubbed version. Written and directed by Vivek Athreya, the film will hit the screens on Thursday. It is produced by DVV Entertainment.
Nani, who plays the title character in “Saripodhaa Sanivaaram”, said he used to imitate fighting scenes after watching action movies in childhood.
“Nowadays I'm sure that kids have a lot more options to play with, but at that time, it used to be like, ‘You watch a film, you do some imaginary fighting and jump into the sand or on the bed with pillows and stuff like that’. I’m that kid.” The upcoming film revolves around Surya (Nani), who fights against injustice on Saturday and locks horns with a corrupt inspector called R Dayanand (S J Suryah), who brutally attacks innocent people.
The actor said an enthusiastic Athreya called him while he was having dinner with his cousins and when Nani heard the brief narration of “Saripodhaa Sanivaaram”, he said he was amazed at how the film adds a new dimension to the classic hero-villain narrative.
“There are a lot of action films and it’s all about good will win over evil. You establish a hero, there’s a villain and they both will come together at one point. So, the graph is all the same for any action film... I felt it (the film) has this classic formula of action, which we have seen in a million films, but with a new twist.” Nani said many directors from Hindi cinema approached after the success of his 2023 film "Hi Nanna" but he is waiting for the right offer. “I got a lot of love after ‘Hi Nanna’ from the Hindi industry. A lot of them (directors) messaged me personally and even reached out to me on Instagram. It was refreshing, I didn’t know they watched Telugu films. If I want to do a film here, it has to be extremely exciting.” The actor said his next film will be announced soon. He has already signed projects with Srikanth Odela and Sujeeth.
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