Overview

• During Bigg Boss Telugu 9 promotions, Nagarjuna compared Pradeep Ranganathan to Rajinikanth and Dhanush, calling him a “flash of lightning.”
• Nagarjuna said he admired Love Today and Dragon for contemporary, youth-focused storytelling that can break language barriers.
• The appearance followed a Hyderabad press meet where a reporter told Pradeep he did not look like “hero material.”
• Co-star Sarathkumar argued there is no fixed template for a hero, while Telugu actor Kiran Abbavaram condemned the question as demeaning and body-shaming.
• Pradeep credited hard work and God’s grace for his appeal and said audiences see themselves in him, as Dude—directed by debutant Keerthiswaran and backed by Mythri Movie Makers—heads to a October 17 theatrical release.