The Chiranjeevi-Srikanth Odela film was announced as a crazy combination. A Megastar in a blood-soaked world created by the Dasara director, with Nani producing it, instantly made the project one of the most talked-about films in Telugu cinema.
But The Paradise has changed the situation completely. The film did not just fail. It received a hugely negative response from both audiences and critics.
And now the Chiranjeevi film has lost all momentum.
The plan was for Chiranjeevi to complete his current commitments and move on to Odela’s film. But Nani has now revealed that there have been no formal discussions about the film’s immediate start, and Chiranjeevi is looking to reorder his lineup.
Before The Paradise, Odela had a strong advantage. Dasara gave him credibility as a filmmaker who could handle raw emotions, violence and a rooted world. Putting that director together with Chiranjeevi sounded like a risky but exciting idea.
The Paradise has now put a big question mark over that confidence.
Nani continues to back Odela and says the director has learned from the experience and is more prepared for his next film. But producing a film and convincing Megastar to immediately take a risk are two different things.
Chiranjeevi has reached a stage in his career where he cannot afford another massive misfire like Bholaa Shankar.
Chiranjeevi is currently working on Kaaka with Bobby. What comes next is still unclear. Names like Buchi Babu Sana and Kalyan Krishna are being discussed, but nothing has been officially locked.
However, fans are not happy with the possibility of Chiranjeevi choosing Kalyan Krishna, who many feel is outdated and cringe. They believe Buchi Babu could be a better choice. Some would even prefer Chiranjeevi to continue with Srikanth Odela rather than go with Kalyan Krishna.
Adding to the confusion, Tamil director Karthik Subbaraj recently met Chiranjeevi and reportedly discussed a script with him for around two and a half hours.
For now, the ball is in Chiranjeevi’s court.
