Nani and Vijay Deverakonda: Battling Nepotism in Tollywood’s Tier 2

Nepotism has always been a hot topic in the film industry. Following the tragic demise of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput, the debate around nepotism intensified. There’s a widespread belief that nepotism bars opportunities for outsiders as industry heirs dominate the space. Nepotism has become commonplace, and Tollywood is no exception. It’s often said that, after Bollywood, our industry has a high number of heroes from film families, leaving actors like Nani, Vijay Deverakonda, Nithiin, Adivi Sesh, Sharwanand, and Gopichand categorized as ‘Tier 2’ heroes. But how much truth is there to this? Are they truly unable to succeed because of nepotism? Let’s find out in this special report.

What Exactly is ‘Tier 2’?

Generally, in every industry, actors are classified into two or three tiers based on their popularity. In Tollywood, names like Prabhas, Ram Charan, Jr NTR, Allu Arjun, Pawan Kalyan, Mahesh Babu, Chiranjeevi, and Balakrishna are considered ‘Tier 1′ heroes. They create a festive atmosphere in theaters upon the release of their films, recovering about 30% to 50% of the budget on the first day itself due to their massive fan following. Tier 2 heroes, as previously mentioned, including Nani, Vijay Deverakonda, Nithiin, Ram Pothineni, Naga Chaitanya, and Gopichand, may lag slightly behind in terms of remuneration, fan base, and budget of the films. Despite competing with top-tier heroes and being active in the industry, their films’ collections tend to be limited.

Unseen by Star Directors!

Star directors like Rajamouli, Trivikram, Sukumar, and Koratala Siva prefer working with top-tier heroes, which, fans argue, does injustice to stars like Vijay Deverakonda and Nani. The exclusion by star directors reportedly prevents these actors from achieving pan-Indian success. Even though they release films with new directors at a pan-India level, they don’t achieve the expected results. Hero Nani faced this with his project ‘Saripodhaa Sanivaaram,’ planned for a pan-India release but still not released in Hindi. Fans suggest that despite having talent, the lack of star power beyond Tollywood is a disadvantage for Nani.

Are Stories Failing Too?

A great cast cannot save a film if the story fails. Whether a film is a success or a failure largely depends on the story. Fans are questioning whether ‘Tier 2’ heroes are choosing their scripts wisely. Recent films like Ram Pothineni’s ‘Double iSmart’, Ravi Teja’s ‘Mr Bachchan’, Nithiin’s ‘Extraordinary Man’, and Gopichand’s ‘Rambanam’ have left fans puzzled over why these actors accepted these projects. With big scripts mostly going to top-tier heroes, ‘Tier 2’ actors have to settle for what’s left, some commentators feel.

Nepotism vs Talent!

The notion that only heirs in the film industry can succeed is a myth. If that were true, every offspring from major film families would become a star hero. No matter the background, without acting talent, longevity in the industry is impossible, as many heirs have demonstrated. Actors like Nani, Vijay Deverakonda, Ravi Teja, Siddhu Jonnalagadda, Adivi Sesh, and Naveen Polishetty have made their mark without any significant background, solely based on their talent. A significant success for Nani could propel him to ‘Tier 1’, fueling speculations among fans.

The Fault Lies in the Audience!

In a past interview, actors Rana and Nani made interesting comments about nepotism. Rana highlighted the unseen pressures and responsibilities that come with inheritance, stating that nepotism only helps to an extent, and without talent, one cannot survive in the industry. Nani, addressing the role of nepotism in cinema, mentioned that it’s not industry insiders but the audience that fosters nepotism. He pointed out the disparity in audience size between his debut and that of actor Charan, questioning the audience’s role in perpetuating nepotism.