The much-awaited collaboration between Nandamuri Balakrishna and Koratala Siva officially began today as NBK112 was launched with a grand pooja ceremony in Amaravati. The makers also announced that acclaimed cinematographer Sathyan Sooryan has come on board as the film’s Director of Photography.
Known for his striking visuals, Sathyan has worked on films like Yatra and Dasara in Telugu, while his Tamil filmography includes Kaithi, Master, Theeran Adhigaaram Ondru, and the muc-delayed Vijay’s final film Jana Nayagan.
Soon after the announcement, an interesting discussion started on social media. Many fans linked the change in cinematographer to the backlash Koratala Siva faced after Devara.
A section of NTR fans heavily trolled cinematographer Rathnavelu for the way their star was presented on screen. Many felt NTR looked unusually short and less imposing in several sequences, especially the much-discussed container destruction scene. According to them, the framing and camera angles failed to capture the larger-than-life aura expected from a mass hero.
Because of that backlash, some fans are now wondering whether Koratala deliberately chose a new cinematographer for his next film to avoid similar backlash.
However, the reality appears quite different.
Koratala Siva has never been a director who sticks to one cinematographer throughout his career. Right from his debut, he has preferred working with different DOPs for almost every film. He has collaborated with Chota K. Naidu, Madhi, Ravi K. Chandran, Tirru, Rathnavelu, and now Sathyan Sooryan.
This has always been Koratala’s working style. He believes every film should have its own unique visual identity, and bringing in a new DOP allows him to explore a fresh look and texture for each project.
So, linking Sathyan Sooryan’s entry entirely to the Devara trolling may be reading too much into the situation.
Moreover, Balakrishna‘s screen image is very different from NTR’s. Sathyan Sooryan’s style could simply be the visual approach Koratala wants for NBK112.
Mounted on a massive scale, NBK112 is jointly produced by SLV Cinemas and Yuvasudha Arts. The film is expected to go on floors in August 2026 and is targeting a Summer 2027 release.
