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After 18 years in Telugu cinema and The Paradise becoming one of the biggest films in his career, what might the ultimate aspiration for an actor like Nani look like?
For the actor, at least, that dream does not comprise being a mass hero in the typical sense.
In an exclusive conversation with The Hollywood Reporter India, Nani refuted claims of him trying to be a "mass hero," explaining that his choice of films has never positioned him as such and that there is no aspiration for him to be bigger than who he already is.
"The problem is that I've never had these aspirations," says Nani, when asked if the big dream with The Paradise was to become a mass hero.
The actor remarks that while there can be a lot of noise around his movies or how he makes his entries in them, it has never been an intentional choice to be seen as a mass entertainer.
"How else can I make this statement than by the choice of my films? Isn't it obvious?," he says. "Do you what film I have signed after Bloody Romeo? Likewise, do you know what I did after Dasara? A film like Hi Nanna! So where did my choice ever suggest that?" he contests.
The actor believes that those who chase the label of a mass hero are the ones who would opt for bigger and bigger films. "Anybody who looks for that or wants that keeps making those choices. They try to make films bigger and bigger."
Nani says he feels bad for those who want to fall into the bracket of a 'mass hero'. "I actually feel sorry for those with that burden. There is so much pressure to continuously do things. You can't follow your heart, you can't do what genuinely excites you and you also have to think about a hundred logistics. I don't want to be there," he says.
The actor clarifies that, while he will do even bigger and massier films than The Paradise, that choice will not be driven by labels.
"I might be doing even bigger and massier films than The Paradise. I will, because I'm an actor. And I will keep shifting. I will do something extremely subtle, simple and sweet... you might not see any actor who has done a film like The Paradise ever going and doing that," he expresses.
Nani concludes that there is no place he would rather be than where he is is right now in his career. "There is absolutely no aspiration for me to become bigger than who I am because this itself is a dream for me. I never imagined or prayed that I would be here."
He adds he receives new and exciting stories everyday, either to produce or star in. This, he says, is, "the greatest place ever. Why would I want to leave it?"
Apart from these labels, the noise around a film's release, Nani also feels, can be misleading in the long run. "When you look back, you don't remember how much a film collected or if you were called a mass actor or a class actor. When you look back, you'll see a filmography. And when you have a good one, you'll feel content. Nothing beats that feeling."
Watch our full interview with the actor on The Hollywood Reporter India's YouTube channel