Director Ra Karthik was initially confirmed as the director for Nagarjuna Akkineni’s 100th cinematic venture, tentatively titled King100. Now, in a recent interaction, the filmmaker has revealed the veteran star’s reaction to choosing him over any other Telugu director for his milestone 100th film.
Ra Karthik on Nagarjuna Akkineni choosing him for King100
According to Cinema Vikatan, Ra Karthik said that he had asked Nagarjuna whether he was comfortable working with a Tamil director, especially when there are many strong Telugu directors with great scripts. He added that since it is Nagarjuna’s 100th film, there is naturally some pressure associated with it. However, Nagarjuna reportedly told him that he was completely fine with the decision.
The filmmaker further explained that over the last 40 years, Nagarjuna has broken many boundaries. He noted that the actor brought several Malayalam and Tamil directors into Telugu cinema, including Priyadarshan and Mani Ratnam. According to Karthik, Nagarjuna has explored various collaborations and has worked extensively with Tamil filmmakers, which is why he did not see any issue with Karthik directing the project.
Moreover, Karthik mentioned that the film would feature Nagarjuna in a vintage look similar to Ratchagan. He stated that audiences would get to see a very stylish version of Nagarjuna Akkineni on screen. He added that for Tamil audiences, Nagarjuna is well known for films such as Shiva, Ratchagan, and Simon from Coolie. The upcoming film will reportedly showcase all these shades through a variety of different get-ups. Karthik also noted that the official announcement will soon be made by the producer.
Ra Karthik is currently gearing up for the release of his adventure drama Made in Korea. The film, which will be released directly on Netflix on March 12, 2026, tells the story of a young woman from Tamil Nadu whose fascination with Korean culture leads her to visit the country. Apart from the Doctor actress Priyanka Arul Mohan, the film also features South Korean actors Hye-jin and No Ho-jin in key roles.
Looking ahead, the filmmaker is currently working on the Nagarjuna Akkineni-starrer, which is speculated to be titled Lottery King. With Tabu reportedly appearing in a key role, the film is also rumored to feature cameo appearances by Naga Chaitanya and Akhil Akkineni.
