Happy Birthday King Nagarjuna: 5 pathbreaking films of the star to watch on OTT

He has consistently broken conventions and took appreciable creative risks as an actor and a producer

Happy Birthday Nagarjuna

Several film buffs associate Nagarjuna for his popularity among women, how he refuses to age on screen and gives current generation stars a run for their money. However, they don’t credit him enough for the several creative risks he has taken throughout his career, both as an actor and a producer. On his birthday, here are some of his pathbreaking films you can’t afford to miss on OTT.

Shiva

When the conventional route wasn’t working out for Nagarjuna, he placed his bet on a rank newcomer and genuinely backed his conviction, creative decisions despite stiff opposition from several corners. It paved the way for Shiva, which marked a new era of realistic, raw, minimalistic storytelling in Telugu cinema and made Ram Gopal Varma, an overnight sensation.

Platform: ZEE5

Annamayya

After featuring in some of the biggest mainstream hits in the 1990s - Hello Brother, Allari Alludu and Ninne Pelladatha - Nagarjuna went against the grain to star in the first devotional drama of his career Annamayya. Besides overpowering the apprehensions surrounding his look, diction, the star edged ahead of his contemporaries in terms of his versatility with the film.

Platform: Disney+ Hotstar

Sisindri

Despite the obvious inspiration from the Hollywood classic Baby’s Day Out, director Siva Nageswara Rao did a commendable effort in localising the premise with the right blend of music, dance, emotion, humour besides a dose of adventure. Nagarjuna’s extended appearance coupled with his courage to produce a children-centric film (starring his second son Akhil) truly deserves praise.

Platform: Disney+ Hotstar

Also read: Nagarjuna Akkineni joins D51, Dhanush’s political thriller with Sekhar Kammula

Gaganam

Nagarjuna, at the peak of his game, surprised many with his decision to a stylish aviation thriller minus the staple masala or the song-dance routine. While the film may have only been a moderate success, it earned the star immense respect from film buffs upon its television, OTT premieres. His composed, matured performance effectively drove the story forward in the Radhamohan directorial.

Platform: Sun NXT

Manam

The ‘true-blue’ Akkineni film - featuring three generations of actors from the clan ANR, Nagarjuna and Naga Chaitanya (besides cameos by Amala, Akhil Akkineni) will always be etched in the memories of viewers. Vikram K Kumar did a phenomenal job in narrating a complex, layered reincarnation saga in a seamless style that average viewer could comprehend.

Platform: Sun NXT

Also read: Naa Saami Ranga: First glimpse of Nagarjuna’s 99th film launched, will be a festive release

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