Naga Chaitanya Akkineni, known for his calm and reserved nature, has lately been opening up more in public interactions. Recently, he appeared on the popular talk show Jayammu Nischayammu Ra, hosted by Jagapathi Babu. During the candid conversation, Chaitanya revealed an interesting backstory about how he initially tried to avoid portraying his grandfather, the legendary Akkineni Nageswara Rao (ANR), in Mahanati.
Mahanati, directed by Nag Ashwin, is a celebrated biopic of the iconic actress Savitri. The film featured brief appearances of several legendary Telugu cinema figures, including ANR. When the makers approached Chaitanya to play the part, he hesitated.
“I couldn’t imagine myself portraying my grandfather on screen,” Chaitanya shared. “At that time, I was shooting for Savyasachi and had grown a beard for the role. I told Nag Ashwin that I wouldn’t be able to trim it due to continuity reasons and hence couldn’t take up Mahanati.”
However, director Nag Ashwin wasn’t ready to give up easily. “He later convinced me by saying he could digitally remove the beard using VFX. That’s when I realized how special this opportunity was — a chance to honor my grandfather on screen. I felt it was my way of paying tribute to him,” Chaitanya added.
In the end, Naga Chaitanya’s brief portrayal of ANR in Mahanati received warm praise from audiences and critics alike for its authenticity and grace. Interestingly, another Akkineni family actor, Sumanth, went on to play ANR in the NTR biopic series later.
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