In a heartfelt gesture that has melted hearts across social media, acclaimed filmmaker Sreekant Odela extended a deeply emotional birthday tribute to Telugu superstar Nani, fondly known as Natural Star. Posting on X (formerly Twitter), Odela poured out his gratitude, reflecting on their collaborative journey that has redefined boundaries in cinema.
Odela, who is currently directing Nani in the highly anticipated ‘The Paradise,’ reminisced about how Nani’s unwavering trust rebuilt him every time he pushed creative limits. ‘Every time I broke you, you made me, Anna,’ Odela wrote, detailing how he shattered conventional rules—from work patterns and release strategies to on-set demands. Yet, Nani’s response was always the same: ‘Okay ra, ni istam’—Telugu for ‘Alright, as you wish.’
The director shared poignant anecdotes: asking Nani for a topknot hairstyle, a hand tattoo, enduring countless retakes. Each time, Nani’s faith never wavered. ‘I’m searching every second of my life for why you trust me so much. Maybe ‘The Paradise’ will give me the answer,’ Odela mused.
This marks their second collaboration after the blockbuster ‘Dachera,’ which garnered critical acclaim and smashed box office records. ‘The Paradise’ boasts an ensemble cast including Raghav Juyal and is set for a grand multilingual release on August 21 in Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Bengali, Spanish, and English.
Odela signed off calling Nani ‘Nannu namina na Dharani’—the one who believed in me—wishing him a happy birthday and lifelong gratitude. Fans are raving about this bond, hailing it as the essence of true artistic partnership in Tollywood.