Actor Nani has missed out on a few recent film projects—not because of the script issues, but due to date clashes. Producer Dil Raju recently clarified that Nani had no issues with the stories but couldn’t commit to the required timelines.
One such film is Ellamma, directed by Balagam fame Venu Yeldandi. It was originally planned with Nani in the lead, and Dil Raju was set to produce it. However, Nani had to step away from the project. Though early rumours suggested that he didn’t like the story, Dil Raju later revealed the real reason: Nani couldn’t adjust his dates and asked the director to wait for over a year. Since the team didn’t want to delay the film that long, they brought in actor Nithiin instead.
Interestingly, this isn’t the only time Nani had to drop a film. The upcoming film Robin Hood, now starring Nithiin, was also first offered to Nani. He reportedly backed out at the last minute due to similar scheduling problems.
This kind of situation is quite common in the Telugu film industry. Directors often write roles with specific actors in mind, believing that only they can do justice to the characters. But when schedules don’t match, the role is passed on to another actor.
According to insiders, many of Nithiin’s recent projects were actually first discussed with Nani. But due to his packed schedule, Nani had to decline, and the offers went to Nithiin.
Dil Raju summed it up by saying that the rejections weren’t about dissatisfaction with the stories but simply due to date issues. This is a usual part of the industry, especially for mid-range and top-tier heroes juggling multiple projects at once.
