Nani is enjoying the love coming his way for The Paradise, but an old interview has now brought attention to another aspect of his career. The Telugu actor is known as the Natural Star, a name that has stayed with him for years.
The star once revealed that the title did not come from one particular film or performance. He said it slowly became part of his identity because of the films he chose and the way he acted.
Nani initially felt awkward about the tag, but even fans started using the name with love.
In a 2024 interview with IMDB, Nani explained, “Not really one particular role but it was a process because initially the kind of films I've chosen or the kind of acting I've done, at that point everybody started calling me Sahaja Natudu, which means natural actor.
“One film, which is Janda Pai Kapiraju, the director put a title card saying ‘Natural Actor Nani' and when I did this film called Bhale Bhale Magadivoy, which is a blockbuster and it's a comedy. My director said he wants to put this title "natural star” and I thought he was joking.”
“I didn't want him to put that. After a few times when he insisted, I thought, okay, anyway it's a comedy film, maybe it'll be taken in a light way but that film turned out to be a blockbuster. The feedback from the audience, they loved that tag and every director after that started saying that they also want to put that tag. So initially, I was a little awkward with that whole idea and I let it be.”
Over time, when Nani saw “a lot of messages from fans, when they start saying, ‘my dear natural star, when they start expressing their love towards me,” he accepted the title and felt comfortable with the name.
Since its release on September 24, The Paradise has earned Rs 54.90 Crore at the Indian box office. The film has also made Rs 22 Crore from overseas markets. After combining both figures, the movie has collected Rs 76.90 Crore worldwide so far.
Other than Nani, the Srikanth Odela directorial also stars Mohan Babu, Kayadu Lohar, Sonali Kulkarni and Raghav Juyal.
Also Read: Nani's Wife Recalls His Struggle Before The Paradise Success
