Nagarjuna’s 1989 film Shiva, directed by Ram Gopal Varma, which became a cult classic, is now being re-released on November 14 with upgraded technology, including Dolby Atmos sound and a 4K print. The film was produced by Nagarjuna’s elder brother Venkat Akkineni and his brother-in-law Yarlagadda Surendra under their banner Annapurna Studios. Now, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Annapurna Studios, they are re-releasing the cult classic.
“We are not releasing it for profit, but because it’s a special occasion for us,” said Nagarjuna. The actor shared that the team provided everything director Ram Gopal Varma requested. “For the last six months, Ramu has been working on the film using the latest technology. And when I watched it, I felt like I was watching a new movie,” said Nagarjuna. He added that he’s happy the film is being re-released after 36 years. Director RGV said he used AI to enhance the sound and background score.
When asked why the film became a cult classic, Nagarjuna said, “RGV came up with his own conventions and strong vision, surprising everyone with how a film should be made. I sometimes wonder why this film became a cult classic — something magical happened,” said Nagarjuna.
Amala played the female lead opposite Nagarjuna in the film, and later the two became a real-life couple. “It was completely nostalgic when I watched the re-release and saw Amala on screen. She was out of the country when I watched it, so I sent her a message saying, ‘Couldn’t take my eyes off you.’ Everything about it brought back memories,” said Nagarjuna.
Talking about Shiva, Nagarjuna shared that he knew Varma even before the film. “He used to visit my film sets, and we decided to work together. When he came to me with Shiva, I liked it and agreed immediately. Before Shiva, I did Geethanjali with Mani Ratnam. I don’t want to criticize my earlier directors, but before Geethanjali, I wasn’t happy with my costumes or the films I was doing. When Mani Ratnam approached me, my outlook toward cinema completely changed,” recalled Nagarjuna.
RGV explained that the character of Shiva is a student who doesn’t initially intend to fight with other students waiting with weapons. “At that moment, he needed a weapon, so I used the idea of a bicycle chain — that’s how it came about,” said RGV. When asked if he would ever remake Shiva and which actor he would cast, he replied without hesitation, “Nagarjuna, only Nagarjuna. Shiva was made for one and only Nagarjuna,” he said.
When asked if there’s a chance that RGV and Nagarjuna will collaborate again, Nagarjuna said, “If a good story comes along, I’ll definitely work with him.” To that, RGV added, “First, I’ll make a superhit film, and then approach Nagarjuna with the script.”
