Vasishta N Simha’s Telugu debut as leading man has him play slain Naxalite Mohammed Nayeemuddin

After a Telugu movie debut with a supporting role in Narappa, Vasishta N Simha is now ready for his launch as leading man in the neighbouring state. The actor is in the title role in the upcoming Nayeem Diaries, which explores the life of slain Naxalite Mohammed Nayeemuddin, whose death continues to be shrouded in mystery.

According to reports, Nayeem, who shot to fame in the murder of an IPS officer, which was followed up by several other killings, was, apparently, a Naxalite-turned-police informer, who was shot dead by the Telangana police in 2017. It is alleged that vital information about Nayeem and the circumstances leading to his death have been covered up to protect influential politicians.

In the meantime, a film on his life has been readied, and is now gearing up for release. Directed by Daamu Balaji and produced by C A Varadha Raju, the trailer of the Telugu-Kannada bilingual was released earlier today. There’s a line in the trailer that reads, ‘No Monster was born on its own’, which lays the foundation for the narrative of an innocent man forced into a life of criminal activity. While there is a lot of gunfire and a shot of Vasishta as Nayeem saying that he hates the police, another line in the trailer reads that he was ‘a monster created, unleashed and destroyed by the bigger monster – the state’. The film also stars Yajna Shetty, Bigg Boss Divi and Samyukta Hornad in pivotal roles.

Watch the trailer here: 

Vasishta, meanwhile, appears to be making inroads in Telugu cinema. Apart from Nayeem Diaries, the actor is also part of the upcoming Odella Railway Station, directed by Ashok Teja, which is also based on a real incident.