Waltair Veerayya: Is Chiranjeevi’s self-referencing turning out to be an overdose?

There’s always a phase for every actor, who beyond his/her stardom, needs to be relevant to the times and not be stuck with the tales of their glorious past. Chiranjeevi, who’s completed four decades in cinema, is in dire need of that reality check. The star, in particular, hasn’t been in great form as a performer in his second innings, with stories and roles that have barely tested his mettle.

Chiranjeevi is consistently associating with fanboy directors who only want to celebrate him than give him a good story. Most directors, from VV Vinayak to Bobby Kolli to Surender Reddy to Mohan Raja, are populating their films with references to the star’s past through dialogues, looks, moves and mannerisms that no longer capture the imagination of a new generation of audiences.

While Chiranjeevi’s loyal fans may ensure good collections for the films in the opening weekend, the harsh truth is that an average viewer is barely interested or satisfied with the star’s films. It’s tiring to see the fanboys parrot the same tale of Chiranjeevi’s rise in the industry without any Godfathers. Of course, his success story is inspiring, but the directors need to find smarter ways to reintroduce him to the millennial crowds.

With Waltair Veerayya too, the tale is no different. While the look is a throwback to Chiranjeevi's Gharana Mogudu and Mutha Mestri days, the first single, Boss Party, has the star referring to himself as a boss time and again. If that wasn’t enough, the second single is titled Nenu Chiranjeevi Nuvvu Sridevi. The star doesn’t even have to strain his acting muscles to pull off outings like these.

The veteran has done the song-dance routine for ages and need not do these heavylifting stunts when he’s nearing 70. If you argue that Godfather was a step in that direction, no, it wasn’t. While the film didn’t have an official female lead, every second character was only falling at his feet and revering him. Waltair Veerayya may succeed at the box office by playing to the galleries and also due to the release timing, but it distances Chiranjeevi from reality all the more.