Tollywood’s so-called “young” heroes are facing a reality check at the box office. Repeated failures have forced several actors to rethink their career choices and return to the genres that once worked for them. Instead of blindly chasing mass appeal, they are now trying to identify their strengths and choose scripts accordingly.
Siddhu Jonnalagadda is one of the clearest examples. He became a sensation with the DJ Tillu franchise, but his attempts to move beyond that image with films like Telusu Kada and Jack flopped miserably. Now, Siddhu appears to be returning to crime comedies and entertaining characters that suit his screen presence. The challenge is to recreate the Tillu magic without repeating the same character endlessly.
After setbacks with routine commercial films, Sharwanand also returned to family entertainment with Nari Nari Naduma Murari, which performed very well at the box office. He is now teaming up with director Sreenu Vaitla for George Krish, a project expected to play to their strengths in comedy and family entertainment. He also has a raw and rustic film, Bhogi, directed by Sampath Nandi, coming up next, but its teaser has evoked mixed reactions for being too similar to recent films like The Paradise.
Ram Pothineni is considering a more unconventional route. After disasters such as The Warriorr, Skanda and Andhra King Taluka, reports about his plans to direct a new project have generated some curiosity. The proposed film is said to explore a different action-driven concept, with a science-fiction backdrop also being discussed. He is also doing a multistarrer with Rajinikanth, in which he is reportedly playing a negative character.
Nithiin is also looking to return to familiar territory. After a series of terrible films, he is reportedly turning towards a feel-good romantic drama titled Alias Rukmini. Directed by Murali Kanth of Dandora fame and produced by Nani’s Wall Poster Cinema, the film offers Nithiin an opportunity to reconnect with the romantic image that helped establish his career.
Vishwak Sen, too, is returning to his raw and unconventional style after experimenting with different subjects. He is directing Cult while also working on Legacy, a project expected to showcase a different side of him as an actor.
In fact, even Nani said in a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter that his next films would be classy and subtle, rather than featuring the over-the-top violence seen in The Paradise.
These actors are beginning to realise that following trends without understanding their own strengths can be costly. Mass action, expensive productions and larger-than-life characters may create initial hype, but they cannot guarantee box-office success.
However, returning to a familiar genre is not enough. The scripts must offer something fresh, and the execution must connect with audiences.
If ‘young’ heroes focus on their strengths instead of blindly chasing the mass formula, it should be a good result for the Telugu film industry.
