Prasanth Varma had a pretty ordinary start in 2018. 'AWE' was critically acclaimed and, as per its producer (Natural Star Nani), it made profits as well. But, when it was released in theatres, critics thought that Varma would be an offbeat filmmaker making glorified indie movies and nothing more. 'Kalki', starring Rajasekhar in the lead, was Varma's second. It flopped. 'Zombie Reddy' had below-average content. Critics opined that Varma had innovative ideas but he was incapable of execution. With 'HanuMan', he proved everyone wrong. The film was a blockbuster and Varma is now among the highest-paid filmmakers in Tollywood.
Ravikanth Perepu's career trajectory could take the form of Varma's. 'Kohinoor Part 1' is his next movie. After handling a thriller ('Kshanam', which was more of Adivi Sesh's child), a rom-com ('Krishna And His Leela', the Netflix release) and a poorly-written romantic entertainer ('Bubblegum' was terrible), Perepu now has a shot at a whole new league of filmmakers. If 'Kohinoor', starring Siddu Jonnalagadda in the lead, becomes a hit, Perupu will have done a Varma.
