The popular Telugu film Manam is all set to release in Japan for the first time, 11 years after its original release. The film, which features three generations of the famous Akkineni family, is being dubbed in Japanese and will hit Japanese theatres on August 8.
Indian films are becoming more popular in other countries, especially South Indian movies. Recently, there has been a growing fan base for Telugu cinema in Japan. The trend of releasing Indian films in local languages abroad is also increasing. In the past, only a few big movies would get international releases, but now, many star-studded films are being launched globally in different languages.
Manam holds a special place in Telugu cinema. It was the last film of legendary actor Akkineni Nageswara Rao (ANR) and stars his son Nagarjuna, grandson Naga Chaitanya, Samantha, Shriya Saran, and a cameo by Akhil Akkineni. The film, directed by Vikram Kumar, was a big hit when it was released in 2014. With music by Anup Rubens, the film touched many hearts through its emotional story spanning three generations.
Nagarjuna, who considers Manam a personal family film, never sold its remake rights. Now, after over a decade, fans in Japan will get to experience this heartfelt story in their own language. Although Nagarjuna won’t be travelling to Japan, he plans to greet Japanese fans through a virtual video call during the release.
Fans of the Akkineni family are thrilled about this re-release. The unique concept of Manam, blending family values, reincarnation, and strong emotional storytelling, is expected to connect with Japanese audiences as well.
With the film now reaching a whole new audience, this marks another proud moment for Telugu cinema on the global stage.
