Nagarjuna opens about his early struggles in films, says 'My first film worked well because people were curious to see how ANR’s son would act'

Nagarjuna talks about early career struggles

Audiences were interested in whether the son of renowned actor Akkineni Nageswara Rao could live up to the hype when Nagarjuna Akkineni made his acting debut in 1986 with Vikram.

But it took some time for him to become a bankable star as well as a performer. During his appearance on Jagapathi Babu's talk show Jayammu Nischayammu Raa, the seasoned actor opened up about his unsure beginnings and how he approached director Mani Ratnam in search of the ideal project.

Nagarjuna admitted that, in the early days, he had little understanding of films and leaned heavily on his father for guidance. He recalled:

“Vikram (1986) was my first film; it was a remake of Jackie Shroff’s first film Hero (1983). It worked well purely because people were curious to see how ANR’s son would act. I did around seven films after that, which were for the sake of it. But I got my big break with the mass audience with Aakhari Poratam (1988), and that purely worked because of Raghavendra Rao and Sridevi. I was like a doll in that film.”

Despite success with Aakhari Poratam, he confessed he was dissatisfied with his performances and longed for roles that truly resonated with him.

Nagarjuna revealed that after watching Mouna Ragam (1986), he felt strongly that Mani Ratnam could bring out the best in him. Determined to collaborate, he began seeking the director out in Chennai.

“I was unhappy with my films, and I wanted to do something I liked. I watched Mouna Ragam and felt like I would do well in a Mani Ratnam film. I knew he lived in Poes Garden in Chennai and that he would go on a walk every day at 6 AM. I pursued him for around a month while he was out on the walk. He would allow me to talk to him for 10 minutes before avoiding me. But during our brief meetings, I convinced him to work with me. That’s when we made Geethanjali (1989).”

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Geethanjali went on to become both a commercial hit and a cult classic, running for over 100 days in theatres. The tragic love story of two terminally ill youngsters, brought to life by Ilaiyaraaja’s unforgettable score, cemented Nagarjuna’s status as a heartthrob and marked a turning point in his career.

Most recently, Nagarjuna was seen in Naa Saami Ranga (2024), and in 2025 he appeared in Sekhar Kammula’s Kuberaa as a disgraced CBI officer and in Lokesh Kanagaraj’s Coolie as a gangster named Simon — proof that decades later, he continues to reinvent himself on screen.