In a breezy IMDB chat, Nani turned the spotlight onto the nickname that has become his second name.
He explained that the title didn’t sprout from a single blockbuster but from a gradual accumulation of roles that felt authentic. ‘Not really one particular role but a process,’ he said, recalling Janda Pai Kapiraju and Bhale Bhale Magadivoy that first nudged the label onto his shoulder.
When the director of Bhale Bhale Magadivoy insisted on calling him ‘Natural Star,’ Nani was skeptical—he thought it was a joke. Yet the film’s blockbuster run proved the moniker was golden, and the title stuck.
Fans started dropping ‘Natural Star’ in memes and messages, turning the nickname into a term of endearment. The flood of messages made Nani finally embrace the tag with a grin.
Behind the scenes, ‘The Paradise’ has raked in ₹54.90 crore domestically and ₹22 crore overseas, topping the charts since its September 24 release and totaling ₹76.90 crore worldwide. The crew includes Srikanth Odela, Mohan Babu, Kayadu Lohar, Sonali Kulkarni and Raghav Juyal.
With this success and the growing fan love for the title, Nani’s next moves could see him exploring more varied genres while keeping the authenticity that earned him the moniker.