Will Prashanth Neel give Telugu directors a run for their money

“After KGF, Prashanth Neel has become a sought-after director in Tollywood, as he is adept at delivering action adventures,” says a producer, who adds, “A few years ago, top Telugu stars had urged producers to rope in Prashanth. They even assured producers that they would give dates immediately, but he was selective.” Prashanth met big stars like Ram Charan, Jr. NTR and Prabhas after KGF, and Telugu stars felt he held out new hope to reach pan-Indian viewers. “Telugu stars hosted him and he became friends with a few big names too,” the producer notes. Prashanth’s movies ride on over-the-top heroes who are fearless daredevils and make mincemeat of their opponents, even being brutal at times, but it works with the masses all over the world. He has a unique narrative style, where varied people sing praises of the hero in the movie, including tea sellers. “He saw to it that Prabhas succeeded in Salaar, and now he is expected to repeat the magic with Jr. NTR,” the producer says, adding that Telugu action directors like Boyapati Srinu, Harris Shankar, Bobby, Gopichand Malineni and Koratala Siva will have a tough time with Prashanth Neel on the scene.