‘Nepo kid’ Manchu Manoj says nothing comes easy in Tollywood despite privilege; admits good actors like Suhas thrive

Manchu Manoj spoke at the pre-release event of Suhas' upcoming film Oh Bhama Ayyo Rama and called him the ‘Vijay Sethupathi of Tollywood.’

Actor-producer Mohan Babu’s younger son Manchu Manoj debuted in Tollywood with the 2004 film Donga Dongadi and has seen box office success with films like Bindaas and Vedam. He took a break from films after the 2017 film Okkadu Migiladu and made a comeback this year with Bhairavam. Talking at the pre-release event of Suhas’ upcoming film Oh Bhama Ayyo Rama, he admitted that despite being a ‘nepo kid’, it has not been an easy journey for him.

Manchu Manoj acknowledged his privilege as actor-producer Mohan Babu's son.

Manchu Manoj on being a ‘nepo kid’

Addressing Suhas and his success lately with films like Ambajipeta Marriage Band and Uppu Kappurambu, Manoj called himself a ‘nepo kid’ while talking about how hard it is to sustain in the film industry.

He said, “Suhas is a very close friend of mine; he’s like my brother. I love him for always having a smile on his face and radiating positivity. He started his career on YouTube and is here today. Everyone says you can only be in the film industry if you have a background. And I agree, it does help. As a nepo kid, cheptunnanu, ikada pappulu udakav (As a nepo kid, I am telling you that it’s not enough). You need to struggle to stay afloat.”

Manoj also called Suhas, the ‘Vijay Sethupathi of Tollywood’ admitting that versatile performers like him find more success and thrive. He said, “Hats off, Suhas. You are such an inspiration to this generation and even to me. We’ve seen how Vijay Sethupathi can play both a hero and a character in Tamil cinema. I think in Telugu, we have Suhas, you have all the chances. Nothing in this industry comes easily, but if you work hard and are focused, you can see success like Suhas did.”.

Recent work

Suhas recently starred in the Prime Video film Uppu Kappurambu with Keerthy Suresh. He will soon star in Cable Reddy and Anandrao Adventures, in addition to Oh Bhama Ayyo Rama, which will be released on 11 July. Manoj will soon star in Mirai with Teja Sajja and What The Fish with Niharika Konidela.