Gopichand Malineni reveals he initially planned Sunny Deol's 'Jaat' with Nandamuri Balakrishna: "People had high expectations of him"

Time of India

30-04-2025

Director
Gopichand Malineni
, known for his work in Tollywood, recently made his Bollywood debut with
Jaat
, featuring Bollywood star
Sunny Deol
in the lead role. The film, which hit theatres on April 10, has now crossed more than Rs 80 crore in India.
Malineni has now revealed that the movie was initially planned with
Nandamuri Balakrishna
, not
Sunny
Deol.
In an interview with TeluguOne, the filmmaker shared that the original concept for Jaat was first pitched to Telugu actor
Nandamuri
Balakrishna.
Sunny Deol Promises 'Jaat 2'; Drops 'Border 2' Surprise
Gopichand about Nandamuri
Gopichand had collaborated with Nandamuri in the 2023 hit film '
Veera Simha Reddy
'. When asked about their plans to collaborate once again, he said, 'Yes, it's a different story. Actually, the first story I thought of is now Jaat.'
'I had two to three stories, actually, for Balayya Babu. After Akhanda, people had high expectations of him—and, of course, he knew that. I initially pitched him an idea, and he liked it. But after Akhanda was released, he thought it would be better if we did a faction film. I'm a huge fan of Samarasimha Reddy and Narasimha Naidu, so we made Veera Simha Reddy,' he added.
About Jaat's success
Nevertheless, Malineni is satisfied with how Jaat was ultimately received in Hindi-speaking regions. He mentioned visiting cinemas and witnessing audiences dancing to the film's title track during the end credits. Gopichand attributed the success to the fusion of a southern cinematic style with a northern star, noting that it resonated well with the audience.
Randeep Hooda and Regina Cassandra also played key roles in Jaat. According to Sacnilk, the movie earned Rs 115.10 crore globally.