In Ram Pothineni's Andhra King Taluka, the Andhra King is a movie star played by Upendra. Now, Upendra is not even a Telugu.
Why did the makers of the movie cast a non-Telugu actor in the role of a Telugu superstar? Will it turn out to be a case of terrible miscasting? This is the question some film observers and netizens have raised. This is an interesting angle to ponder.
Upendra used to have many admirers among Telugu movie-goers in the 1990s and 2000s. Creative bankruptcy that has generally plagued Sandalwood prevented him from becoming a notable star in then-undivided Andhra Pradesh. Moreover, Kannadigas are emotional about their stars doing straight non-Kannada movies. They see it as a form of moral corruption and greed. This made Upendra largely stick to the uncreative and artistically inferior Sandalwood.
In recent years, Upendra's attempts at raising his profile in markets other than his home turf have largely failed. Rajinikanth's Coolie presents him a rare opportunity to push the envelope. If that film succeeds in Telugu and Upendra's performance becomes a talking point, Andhra King Taluka might stand to gain (if it releases after Coolie). Even then, the issue of miscasting will crop up if Upendra has a full-fledged role in Ram's movie. That might not be the case, though. Which is why the makers of Andhra King Taluka didn't have apprehensions about casting a non-Telugu actor in the role of a Telugu matinee idol.
