For many, TikTok and Instagram Reels are just for fun or to pass time. But for 45-year-old Singapore Permanent Resident Nandu Rapolu, these short videos have unexpectedly opened the doors to Tamil cinema.
On July 27, Nandu will make his big-screen debut as the lead in the Tamil thriller 13/13 Lucky Nun, releasing simultaneously in Tamil Nadu, Singapore and Malaysia.
Born and raised in Hyderabad, Rapolu moved to Singapore in 2003 and became a Permanent Resident in April 2010. By profession, he works in the IT department at UOB, which remains his main livelihood.
But, alongside his banking career, he has quietly nurtured a deep passion for films – distributing Telugu movies in Singapore and creating social media videos that unexpectedly earned him a fan following.
His journey into acting is as unconventional as it is inspiring.
It all began during the Covid-19 lockdowns. Like millions worldwide stuck at home, Nandu decided to experiment with TikTok and Reels simply to kill time.
“Actually, I started experimenting with Reels when the Coronavirus started,” he recalls with a laugh. But one video led to another, and soon he found himself collaborating with his cousin Surekha Nunna, based in Atlanta, United States.
Together, they recreated hit Telugu songs, playing male and female roles and syncing scenes seamlessly across continents.
Their videos struck a chord with viewers. Out of 25 reels they made, 20 crossed the one million view mark, with their most popular – a song from the 2014 Telugu film Geetanjali – registering 2.9 million views.
Nandu’s confident dancing and genuine love for cinema didn’t go unnoticed. Even renowned Indian producer Kona Venkat shared one of Nandu’s Reels on his own Instagram, boosting his visibility further.
This social media fame caught the attention of Chennai-based filmmaker Megna Jaison, the driving force behind 13/13 Lucky Nun.
Megna, who wears multiple hats as producer, actress, scriptwriter and music director for the film, came across Nandu’s energetic Reels and was immediately convinced he had the screen presence to pull off a hero’s role.
“She liked my dancing, so she offered me this role,” says Nandu, still sounding surprised by how quickly things escalated.
13/13 Lucky Nun is a supernatural thriller shot in Malaysia and Tamil Nadu. The plot revolves around a group of friends who unwittingly encounter a restless spirit in an abandoned house, setting off a chain of eerie and suspenseful events.
Nandu plays a lover boy who proposes to Megna’s character, creating moments of romance, comedy and plenty of dance sequences. “I have love scenes, three songs, some comedy. We even shot with a Lamborghini! It was so much fun,” he says, beaming.
Though this marks his acting debut, Nandu is no stranger to the world of cinema. He has been distributing Telugu films in Singapore since 2014, partnering with other local distributors and handling releases of about 30 films so far.
He has close ties with Telugu film circles. His cousin Rapolu Ananda Bhaskar is a former MP from Telangana, which helped Nandu establish ties with Telugu megastar Chiranjeevi.
However, stepping in front of the camera for a feature film was a whole new ball game. “This is my first acting role. I did cover songs before, but acting in a full-length movie was different. The director and assistant director really helped me. Dubbing was tough as I am not fluent in Tamil, so they hired another person for my voice,” Nandu candidly admits.
Despite the challenges, his performance earned praise during the film’s audio launch in Chennai on May 17.
Prominent figures like actor SV Sekar and National Award-winning director Thambi Ramaiah lauded his dance and screen presence, encouraging him to take his acting career more seriously. “They told me I have a bright future in Tamil cinema,” Nandu says proudly.
While 13/13 Lucky Nun is just days away from hitting theatres, the buzz has already brought new opportunities.
Megna has cast Nandu again in her upcoming project, where he’ll play an assistant commissioner of police in a crime thriller.
“Nandu did well in his first film,” she said. “But he still has to learn the craft. He is quite natural, and also hard-working. He will go far.”
Offers have also started trickling in from Hyderabad’s Telugu film industry, but Nanduu remains cautious.
“Telugu producers want me to move to India for 45 days at a stretch, but I can’t leave my job and family in Singapore. Tamil films finish my scenes in four days – that works for me,” he said.
This balance between a steady IT job and a budding acting career might sound unusual, but Nandu is determined to manage both as long as he can.
“UOB is my bread and butter. Acting and distributing movies – that’s my passion,” he says.
