Jr NTR Backs Out, Nani Steps In for Shouryuv’s Next?

In what is shaping up to be a fascinating turn of events in Telugu cinema, director Shouryuv’s much-anticipated second project, originally visualized for Jr NTR — is now heading into the hands of his first hero, Nani.

Sources confirm to Gulte that the soulful storyteller behind Hi Nanna has now realigned his action-packed emotional drama to star Nani, as Jr NTR had to gracefully step away owing to packed dates stretching over the next four years.

Shouryuv, who made an acclaimed debut with Hi Nanna in 2023 under Vyra Entertainments, has long nurtured a vision for a large-scale action drama — one he hoped would mark his collaboration with Jr NTR. Speaking to media earlier, Shouryuv described it as a deeply emotional narrative that is “1,000 times more intense than Hi Nanna” and added that the screenplay was locked after a prolonged period of careful development.

While he never explicitly confirmed Jr NTR’s involvement, insiders revealed that Tarak had indeed shown strong interest and gave an initial nod. The director dedicated extensive time to pre-production, nearly 15 months — and set the film across Hyderabad and other cities, with plans for a grand canvas.

However, as months passed, reality took over: Jr NTR’s jam-packed schedule — which includes films with Prashanth Neel, Koratala Siva (Devara 2), Nelson, Trivikram, and the high-profile Made In India biopic presented by SS Rajamouli — left no breathing room for new additions until at least 2029. With even War 2 set for an August 14 release, and post-release commitments lined up, the star reportedly chose to let go of Shouryuv’s film rather than delay it endlessly.

This isn’t the first time a promising script has slipped through NTR’s fingers due to timing. A similar scenario played out with Buchi Babu Sana post-Uppena. The filmmaker had developed Peddi with NTR over a year-long journey, only for scheduling hurdles to derail the plan. Eventually, Ram Charan stepped into the role and the film is slated for theatrical release in coming summer.

Much like Peddi, Shouryuv’s script too now finds a new leading man in Nani — someone who understands the director’s emotional language like no other. For Nani, this is a homecoming of sorts. Having trusted Shouryuv with his directorial debut, the Natural Star now returns to collaborate once again, this time with a film of bigger scale and broader ambition. Pre-production, backed by Vyra Entertainments, will now see Nani’s longtime manager Venkat joining as co-producer. Nani is currently shooting for The Paradise, directed by Srikanth Odela of Dasara fame, and is also lined up for Sujeeth’s next after They Call Him OG.