Singapore-based IT professional Nandu Rapolu is all set to make his acting debut with the Tamil horror-comedy film 13/13 Lucky Nun. The film is produced by Biramari Productions and will release in theatres across Malaysia, Singapore, and Tamil Nadu.
Nandu, who works for Cognizant, began making Instagram reels during the COVID-19 lockdown. He and his wife created videos in Telugu, Hindi, Kannada, and Tamil, but it was a collaboration with his cousin Surekha Nunna, based in Atlanta, US, that changed everything.
“I requested her to do the female clips while I did the male ones. We merged them and made 25 reels. One of them got 3 million views, and 20 others crossed 1 million,” he told Connected to India in a recent interview.
One of these viral reels caught the attention of Tamil actress and producer Megna, who offered Nandu a role. “She watched my reels, messaged me on Instagram, and gave me her contact number. That’s how I got the opportunity,” he shared.
The film, directed by Megna herself, is a horror-comedy centered around a group of friends vacationing in a haunted house. “I play one of the friends. There’s a love triangle, and the film has three duet songs with Megna,” Nandu added.
Despite being offered more films in Telugu, Nandu said he has no plans to leave his IT job. “That is my bread and butter. This is all passion,” he said.
Nandu also expressed deep gratitude to his cousin Surekha. “I’m always thankful to her. I will definitely do something for her.”
With support from industry veterans and rising popularity, Nandu Rapolu’s journey from Instagram reels to the big screen is just getting started.
Watch the full @Work conversation here.
