Balayya nearing a century
Nandamuri Balakrishna, also known as Balayya, remains just one film short of a hundred as his next film ‘Dictator’ is set to release on Pongal. The film is directed by Sriwass. However, it is rumoured that Sriwass is also in talks with a big banner production house in Bollywood with plans to make a Hindi version of ‘Dictator’ and the actor rumored to feature as the male lead in the film is none other than the tall, dark and handsome superstar Ajay Devgn. 
Bollywood’s interest in ‘Dictator’
There is a buzz that one of the biggest production houses in Mumbai has taken a keen interest in the script of ‘Dictator’ and being impressed at how Balayya’s role in the film has been portrayed they also wishes to fund a remake. It will also be director Sriwass’s first venture in Bollywood. Interestingly, Nandamuri Balakrishna plays the role of a dynamic and stylish don in the film, many sequences of which have just been shot in Delhi. It is said that the film is packed with adrenalin pumping action, numerous sequences full of adventure and thrill and is expected to entertain the masses thoroughly and give them their money’s worth.
Ajay’s role and rise to stardom
Throughout the 90’s the three Khans – Shahrukh, Aamir and Salman ruled the hearts of billions of movie buffs in this country. However, in the last decade the game has changed. While the three of them still continue to dominate the box office, Bollywood isn’t only about their monopoly anymore. Devgn, who had started his career with the box office hit ‘Phool aur Kaante’ way back in 1991 has become the new superstar in the industry and many would say that it was long overdue.
Devgn rose slowly but steadily to stardom in the first ten years of his career and delivered good films like ‘Dilwale’ (1994), the multi starrer ‘Ishq’ (1997) and Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s masterpiece ‘Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam’ in 1999. Many of Devgan’s performances have earned him significant critical acclaim like in Ram Gopal Verma’s ‘Company’ and then later in ‘Gangajal’ (2004), ‘Rajneethi’ (2010), ‘Drishyam‘(2015). He has also won two National awards for his roles in ‘Zakhm’ and Rajkumar Santoshi’s ‘The Legend of Bhagat Singh’. Many of his recent films, especially those made in partnership with director Rohit Shetty, have earned millions in the Box Office.
Working in remakes of South Indian films isn’t new for Devgn. Many of his most successful Bollywood ventures are Hindi versions of Telugu, Tamil or Malayalam superhit films. Devgn played the role of an inspiring student leader in ‘Yuva’ which was a remake of the Tamil hit ‘Aaytha Ezhuthu’. His film ‘Sunday’ where he had Arshad Warsi and Irrfan Khan as his fellow cast members was also a Telugu film ‘Anukokundu Oka Roju’ remade and even perhaps his biggest blockbuster ‘Singham’ was a remake of the Tamil superhit film of the same name.
The regular Bollywood audience now expects nothing short of highest quality entertainment from Devgn and it is only a matter of time before we see him thrill the crowd with his role in the Hindi ‘Dictator’.