The legendary stars—Chiranjeevi, Nandamuri Balakrishna, Akkineni Nagarjuna, and Victory Venkatesh—who were the major influencers in the Tollywood film industry for a long time following NTR, ANR, Krishna, and Krishnam Raju were the four top actors. The mentioned directors along with Raghavendra Rao, Kodandarami Reddy, and EVV Satyanarayana supported these four actors, who together formed the backbone of the Telugu film industry for more than a decade, as they kept on releasing films that not only set the standard for the era but also were all nothing less than blockbusters.
But, it is a feat that a younger generation director has yet to achieve. V.V. Vinayak directed films with three of these stars but never with Nagarjuna, while Srinu Vaitla covered three but missed Balakrishna.
Anil Ravipudi’s Journey with Senior Heroes
The filmmaker Anil Ravipudi has, by working with the masters of Tollywood, been a striking personality in the entire movie industry. He has not only directed films with Venkatesh and Balakrishna but also completed his latest project ‘Mana Shankara Varaprasad Garu’ with none other than Chiranjeevi. With this, only Nagarjuna remains for Anil to collaborate with.
Speaking about his plans, Anil said, “Once Nagarjuna agrees to do a film, it will be a special record for me. I cannot confirm the timeline, but a film with Nag will happen.” He added that his next project is not finalized yet and he plans to take a two-week break after the release of ‘Mana Shankara Varaprasad Garu’ to decide on his next film.
Nagarjuna’s 100th Film and Future Collaboration
Currently, Nagarjuna is working on his 100th film with Tamil director Ra. Karthik. Once completed, Anil will have a script ready to collaborate with Nagarjuna. As stated by the insiders in the industry, Anil has a rare gift for portraying the senior heroes by combining their strong points with their time and very much the way their fans want them.
The ace has the complete backing of Nagarjuna. Nostalgia, happiness from the fans, and the best portrayal of Nagarjuna’s being on the screen are to be the outcomes of such collaborations to mark yet another milestone in the career of Anil Ravipudi.
Key Points
- Anil Ravipudi has directed Venkatesh, Balakrishna, and Chiranjeevi; Nagarjuna remains.
- Collaboration with Nagarjuna will happen after his 100th film.
- Anil takes pride in tailoring films for senior heroes while entertaining fans.
- Project timeline not fixed; next film decision after two-week break post-release.
