PremiumNancy Rani: Aju Varghese on how Ahaana Krishna-starrer is finally releasing in theatres after director's death
Aju Varghese explains how Nancy Rani is seeing the light of the day and credits director Manu James wife Nyna’s efforts that led to the Ahaana Krishna-starrer finally releasing in the theatres.
Nancy Rani; Aju Varghese and Ahaana Krishna
Last Updated: 10.36 AM, Mar 04, 2025
Ahaana Krishna-starrer Nancy Rani was the debut directorial venture of Manu James. But the film faced a tragic setback when its director Manu James passed away in 2023. Now, the Malayalam film, which also features Arjun Ashokan, Aju Varghese, and Lal, among others, is set for release on April 18, 2025. Aju Varghese explains how the Nancy Rani is seeing the light of the day and credits the director’s wife Nyna’s efforts that led to the Ahaana Krishna-starrer finally releasing in the theatres.
Aju Varghese on Ahaana Krishna’s Nancy Rani release
Nancy Rani director Manu James passed away in February 2024, when the film was reportedly in its post-production stage. Despite this tragedy, the rest of the production team joined hands to bring the film to the theatres.
Talking about Manu James and his untimely death, Aju Varghese said that he is facing such a situation for the first time in his life. Reminiscing about the moments he had with the director during the shoot of Nancy Rani, Aju Varghese said he also aspired for the film to release in theatres.
"But I never thought this film would see the light of the day. And it's here that we have to credit Manu's wife and her father for it, along with other producers Roy Sebastian and John Varghese,” Aju Varghese during the press meet for Nancy Rani promotions.
“It is not a small feat. We know how difficult it is to bring a film to theatres, considering the financial problems and other issues,” the actor said, thanking all those who travelled along to fulfill Manu’s dream.
Nancy Rani started shooting during 2020 amid the Covid pandemic and faced many setbacks. Ahaana Krishna stars in the titular role of Nancy Rani, who is a Mammootty fan girl, and the film tracks her journey and the various struggles she faces.
On the other hand, Aju was last seen in Aap Kaise Ho, which starred Dhyan Sreenivasan.