Gopichand Malineni found the right formula for Sunny Deol in Jaat. He understood the veteran star’s image and presented him as a convincing mass hero, giving the actor a successful outing.
Now comes the tougher job with Balakrishna.
Gopichand Malineni is teaming up with Nandamuri Balakrishna for NBK111, titled Dada. Balayya doesn’t need a director to prove he can be a mass hero, he has owned that space for decades. The real task is making audiences feel that excitement around him all over again.
Balakrishna already has a set screen image. The mannerisms, dialogue delivery, action and fan-driven moments are all familiar territory. Malineni has to work within that image without simply giving fans another version of what they have already seen.
The Dada glimpse points towards the mass-action zone, which is comfortable ground for both Balakrishna and Malineni. But the film cannot run only on fights and elevations. The character itself has to give Balayya something to play with. That’s the tricky part for Malineni.
Malineni has shown that he can handle the image of a veteran mass star. With Dada, he has to make Balayya’s familiar strengths feel exciting to the audience once again.
