The Telugu film industry has been fortunate to have had legendary actors like ANR and NTR, who played a significant role in taking the industry to the masses. Their contributions helped gain recognition for Telugu cinema nationwide in the 1960s and 1970s. However, the industry later faced discrimination from other languages, with some filmmakers having a superiority complex. The success of films like Baahubali has changed this perception, forcing everyone to recognize the potential of Telugu filmmakers to deliver epic films.
The Nandamuri family recently delivered a biopic on NTR's life, titled Kathanayakudu and Mahanayakudu, which involved his career in films and politics. This has led to questions about a possible biopic on ANR. At a recent event at IFFI Goa, Nagarjuna addressed these questions, remembering ANR on his centenary. He stated that making a biopic on ANR's life would be boring, as his career had only highs throughout.
Nagarjuna further opined that they might have to fictionalize ANR's life to make it an interesting story with ups and downs. He revealed that he had discussed this with his father when he was alive and suggested that a documentary using ANR's clips from old films, along with AI technology, could be a better way to pay tribute. However, he categorically denied any plans to star as his father in a biopic film.
The decision not to make a biopic on ANR's life may have been influenced by the box office performance of the NTR biopics, which failed to impress despite critical acclaim for Nandamuri Balakrishna's performance. The movies felt like glossed documentaries rather than engaging biopics. Nagarjuna's decision to not pursue a biopic on ANR's life seems to be a well-thought-out one.