Karan Johar, Bollywood filmmaker speaking to scribes said Telugu actors are fueling multistarrers at the box office.
Lagadapati Sridhar speaking to scribes shared Manmohan Desai made ensemble films that defined an era. Even recent two-hero films like War 2 couldn’t revive that charm — mostly because of weak writing and star insecurities.”
Kona Venkat added “It doesn’t matter whether it’s Bollywood or Tollywood — audiences love genuine emotions,” He added “We treated the bond between the two leads in a fresh, layered way — even adding a ‘vertigo’ element to Chiranjeevi’s character to deepen his vulnerability.”
Lagadapati Sridhar shared . “Despite fan rivalries over billing or screen time, they delivered timeless classics like Gundamma Katha and Maya Bazaar,” he recalls. “Their professionalism set an example — that big stars could collaborate without ego.”
Talking about RRR, he said “It proved that two powerful stars can shine equally in one story — that’s the new benchmark,”
Top director says “With top stars now charging `75–150 crore per film, multi-starrers often balloon to `200–400 crore budgets,” he says. “Unless stars agree to rationalise fees or limit shooting schedules, such projects remain risky. The economics must balance the egos.”
A top producer says “With stars like Prabhas, Allu Arjun, Mahesh Babu, Ram Charan, and Jr NTR focused on expanding their individual fan bases across India, it’s difficult for them to share screen space with their peers. Of course, directors like Rajamouli could pull it off, as stars trust him. Unless an exceptionally exciting story with the right budget comes along, these actors are content with solo-hero projects.”