Actor Balakrishna has confirmed that he is set to collaborate with young filmmaker Anil Ravipudi for a commercial entertainer, being referred to as NBK 108. While interacting with fans, 'Nata Simha' said that he is eager to reinvent his reel image by work with new directors.
The flick reportedly features a unique storyline and is likely to be completely different from Balakrishna's previous films. Anil Ravipudi, who garnered attention with his films Raja The Great and F2, scored a big hit with the Sankranti release Sarileru Neekevvaru, which marked his first major collaboration with Mahesh Babu. It remains to be seen whether NBK 108 establishes him as an A-lister.
He is, meanwhile, working on F3, featuring Venkatesh and Varun Tej as the parallel leads. It will be released in theatres once the Covid-19 situation improves. Balakrishna, on the other hand, is awaiting the release of Akhanda, directed by Boyapati Srinu.
The actioner features him in two distinct avatars and has a 'pakka commercial' storyline. It stars Pragya Jaiswal, who rose to fame with Kanche, as the leading lady and is her first film with NBK. She recently told DH that Balakrishna is quite passionate about cinema and transforms into a different person while giving a shot.
The mass hero and Boyapati Srinu previously collaborated for Simha and Legend, which did well at the box office. Akhanda is likely to be 'massier' than their previous movies. It was to be released in theatres on May 28 but that did not happen due to the pandemic.
Balakrishna has also agreed to star in NBK 107, to be helmed by director Gopichand. It may feature him in the role of a cop. The filmmaker scored a blockbuster with Sankranti release Krack, starring Ravi Teja and Shruti Haasan, proving his mettle. The buzz is that NBK 107 has the potential to be a gamechanger for him. The film will go on the floors after NBK wraps up Akhanda.