If there is one person who truly made it on his own in the Telugu film industry, it has to be ‘Natural star’ Nani. The actor made an impressive debut with Ashta Chamma in 2008 and has been delivering successful movies since then. In 13 years of his career, Nani has been regarded as one of the finest actors in Tollywood. Be it an emotional scene or a comedy sketch, he knows how to pull off the role with ease.
And, on his 37th birthday, we look at five of his best performances.
Bheemili Kabaddi Jattu (2010)
Bheemili Kabaddi Jattu is an official remake of the 2008 Tamil movie Vennila Kabbadi Kuzhu. Perhaps one of the most underrated performances of the actor, Nani as Suri breathed life into this character. He plays a small-town boy with such conviction that you keep rooting for his character till the very end. His chemistry with Saranya Mohan makes the romantic scenes shine throughout the screenplay. This performance of Nani went unnoticed as the movie was released during the early stage of his career.
Pilla Zamindar (2011)
The movie that made Nani an overnight star is the 2011 comedy-drama Pilla Zamindar. He plays the role of Praveen, the spoilt grandchild of a rich businessman. The plot follows his story trying to win his ancestral wealth and the lessons he learned in this journey. Nani put forth a commendable performance with his hilarious one-liners and the movie also did quite well at the box-office.
Bhale Bhale Magadivoy (2015)
A romantic-comedy, Bhale Bhale Magadivoy released in 2015 revived Nani’s failing career. He reprises the role of a scientist who is suffering from amnesia. His antics in impressing his ladylove, Lavanya Tripathi, while keeping her in the dark about his absent-mindedness made for a good laugh. The movie not only revived the actor’s career but also created a separate fan base and cult for him. For Nani, there was no looking back after Bhale Bhale Magadivoy.
Ninnu Kori (2017)
The 2017 romantic drama, Ninnu Kori, saw Nani in a role he never played before in his career. While the movie had Nani's style of comedy, it was his emotional scenes that connected with the audience. A story of love, failure, and redemption, Ninnu Kori’s storyline, and the music was a huge hit with the youth in 2017. The movie also established Nani as a romantic hero.
Jersey (2019)
A list of Nani’s best performances would be incomplete without his stellar performance in Jersey. The actor plays the role of a failed cricketer, who has only one dream to never fail in the eyes of his son. After getting persuaded by his son, Jersey follows the story of Arjun who is trying to revive his career. Unlike other sports dramas, Jersey is more about the lead’s journey. With an incredible cast and an unexpected twist in the climax, Jersey is hands down Nani’s finest performance. The movie is also getting remade in Hindi with Shahid Kapoor.
