Srikanth Odela’s latest film has reportedly put Nani in a difficult position. Although The Paradise opened on a massive note, the film faced heavy trolling after its release.
Except in the Nizam region, it reportedly failed to help distributors recover their investments.
More than the box-office performance, the film’s second-half narration drew considerable criticism for Odela. Following this, Megastar Chiranjeevi is said to have backed out of the project with the director that he had initially greenlit.
Even before the release of The Paradise, Chiranjeevi was reportedly not entirely convinced about working with Odela. There were said to be concerns about the director’s approach to budgets and schedules.
Chiranjeevi is apparently keen to avoid a repeat of the Vishwambhara experience, which remained in production for a long period and faced repeated delays.
He is now said to be looking for directors who can complete films within the stipulated schedule and agreed budget.
Nani recently confirmed in an interview that the proposed Chiranjeevi-Odela project is no longer happening.
With that project out of the way, there is now talk that Chiranjeevi could consider a story narrated by Buchi Babu Sana. After Peddi, Buchi Babu also found himself in a difficult position.
Although the film reportedly performed decently in the Telugu states, its high budget resulted in losses for distributors. The film also struggled in Hindi, other markets and overseas.
Buchi Babu has not had many big-star opportunities following the result of Peddi. Chiranjeevi, however, is said to have shown interest in his story.
For the project to materialise, Buchi Babu would also need to convince Chiranjeevi that he can deliver a proper commercial entertainer within the planned schedule and budget.
For the Megastar, those factors are likely to be just as important as the story itself.