Chiranjeevi is bored of commercial tropes and wants to break clichés, says Kona Venkat

In a recent interview, filmmaker Kona Venkat revealed why it was difficult for someone like Chiranjeevi to star in a concept-oriented film today.

Actor Chiranjeevi might be known for headlining commercial potboilers like Shankar Dada MBBS and Khaidi No 150 today, but there was a time when he was known for starring in concept-oriented films like Swayam Krushi and Rudraveena, making him a fan favourite. Filmmaker Kona Venkat revealed in an interview with Galatta Telugu that Chiranjeevi is tired of the same old clichés and is itching to do a ‘normal character’ now. (Also Read: How Chiranjeevi's Shankar Dada MBBS helped a woman self-diagnose Type 1 diabetes. Watch)

Chiranjeevi wants to break the box but is unable to do so, says Kona Venkat.

Chiranjeevi is tired of commercial tropes

When asked why Chiranjeevi is doing only commercial films now, Kona admitted that even the actor is tired of playing variations of the mass hero. He said, “Even he feels like, how long will they cut to show a dramatic flashback? He says he can’t do it anymore. He also wonders why he can’t play a normal character. When will I make new films? I am bored, he says. He wants to break the cliché, break the routine. Do something out of the box. I told him, annayya (brother), you can’t do out-of-the-box films, you need to do box office films.” 

He then pointed out that while films like Swayam Krushi give them personal satisfaction, he is also liable to ensure that his producer makes profits. “Take Swayam Krushi (1987) for example, and other films that gave him satisfaction as an actor. What happened to them at the box office? If we can make Swayam Krushi today with a smaller budget, he’d still do it. But it’ll run only in multiplexes because the mass audience will wonder why there are no action scenes or item songs.” Kona also pointed out that budgets for films have gone up significantly, with everything taking at least 150-170 days to shoot versus the usual 40 days it once took. 

Upcoming work

Chiranjeevi’s 2023 film Waltair Veerayya was a hit, but Bholaa Shankar failed to make a mark at the box office. He will soon star in Malladi Vassishta’s Vishwambhara, which was supposed to be released in theatres for Sankranthi. He has also said yes to films by Anil Ravipudi and Srikanth Odela.