The Oscar-winning track Naatu Naatu has the world dancing to its beats. Actor Nani feels Indian cinema is in its “golden phase” now, and the laurels for the RRR (2022) track and the documentary The Elephant Whisperers have helped command all the more respect.

“This is a golden period for Indian cinema. Music and dance have been our strength. Now, the world has recognized it,” says the actor, best known for his Telugu film Jersey (2019). He goes on to laud the Oscar-winning team, saying: “I’m sure global players will want to collaborate with Indian makers like S S Rajamouli sir.”

The Hindi versus southern language films debate was a rage on social media. But, Nani feels it was blown out of proportion. “Today, anything can be twisted for debates. My film Dasara, for instance, is made in Telugu and dubbed in four other languages. It is a pan-India release. But, if someone misinterprets that, it’s not my fault. Hindi cinema was always loved. Now, people are watching Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada films, too. Whoever makes good cinema will get brownie points,” he reasons.

“It’s our fault that we saw language as a barrier and didn’t go all out. But, the audience made us realize that only great scripts work [be it in any language]. Now the lines are getting blurred and cinema is becoming one,” adds Nani, who is keen on exploring Bollywood.