World of Thama | Official Teaser | Ayushmann, Rashmika, Paresh, Nawazuddin | Dinesh V | This Diwali

After striking a fine balance between mass entertainers and intense, gritty roles, Natural Star Nani surprised audiences post Dasara by headlining the emotional love story Hi Nanna. The film also marked the impressive debut of director Shouryuv, earning both critical and commercial appreciation. Soon after, there were strong rumours that Shouryuv had narrated a script to Jr NTR, but industry circles maintained that the director was keen on reuniting with Nani for his second project.

However, fresh buzz from inside sources suggests that this much-anticipated collaboration may not happen anytime soon. With a packed lineup ahead, Nani is currently busy shooting for The Paradise and is expected to move on to Sujeeth’s Bloody Romeo next. Given these long-term commitments and his plan to focus on back-to-back action-oriented projects, Nani is said to have politely advised Shouryuv not to wait for him for another two to three years and instead explore other suitable heroes for the script.

With Nani and Shouryuv unlikely to reunite for now, the big question is which actor will eventually take up the director’s next project. Interestingly, this situation highlights a growing trend in Tollywood, where several debut directors who score big hits take a long gap before announcing their second film. Shouryuv has now joined that list.

In contrast to earlier times—when filmmakers like Puri Jagannadh delivered multiple films within a couple of years—today’s cinema landscape demands more time. Rising budgets, changing audience preferences, and the pressure to live up to debut success have made delays almost inevitable. As a result, while expectations remain high for Shouryuv’s next move, it may still take time before his second film finally takes shape.