V. V. Vinayak

Some Lesser Known Facts About V. V. Vinayak

V. V. Vinayak is an accomplished Indian filmmaker who has been involved in various roles such as director, screenplay director, writer, and actor in numerous films. He is highly recognized in the Tollywood industry as one of its most renowned directors. In 2023, he made his debut in Bollywood with the film Chatrapathi, which he directed. He is credited as one of the pioneers in incorporating car flip scenes in his movies.

Since his childhood, he has nurtured a deep passion for films and spent a significant amount of time watching movies at his father’s cinema.

After finishing his schooling, he managed to persuade his father and leapt into the world of filmmaking by relocating to Chennai. Subsequently, he immersed himself in numerous Telugu film projects, honing his skills and gaining valuable experience.

V. V. Vinayak (second from left) during his early days as an assistant to different directors

A photo of V. V. Vinayak during his early days as an assistant director

He commenced his career in 1993 as an assistant to the acclaimed film director E. V. V. Satyanarayana, contributing to the production of the film Abbayigaru.
A poster of the 1993 film Abbayigaru in which V. V. Vinayak worked as an assistant director

Subsequently, he collaborated with director Sagar and contributed to several films, including the 1995 release Amma Donga. He served as an assistant to director S. V. Krishna Reddy in 2000 for the film Sakutumba Saparivara Sametam. In 2000, he worked under the director Kranthi Kumar for the film 9 Nelalu.
A poster of the 2000 film 9 Nelalu in which he worked as an assistant director

Vinayak had the opportunity to work as a co-director alongside Bellamkonda Suresh for the film Varma Garu Bewarse Gaadu, for which he received a payment of Rs 10,000; however, the film was eventually shelved. Nevertheless, Suresh was greatly impressed by Vinayak’s talent and made a promise to support him in becoming a director in the future.
Bellamkonda Suresh (left) with V. V. Vinayak

Subsequently, he had an encounter with film producer Nallamalupu Bujji, to whom he narrated a story that greatly appealed to Bujji. Impressed by Vinayak’s storytelling, Bujji arranged for a shoot in Switzerland to film songs for his movie Cheppalani Vundi. During this project, Vinayak had the opportunity to meet N. T. Rama Rao Jr., who eventually became the lead actor in Vinayak’s directorial debut. Initially, NTR allocated 20 minutes for the story narration, but he was so captivated by Vinayak’s narrative that he listened for 1.5 hours.
V. V. Vinayak (left) with N. T. Rama Rao Jr.

His directorial and writing debut action drama film Aadi starred N. T. Rama Rao Jr. and Keerthi Chawla in prominent roles. The movie achieved tremendous success at the box office, while critics praised Vinayak’s impressive directorial abilities.
A poster of V. V. Vinayak’s directorial debut film Aadi

For his debut film Aadi, he single-handedly wrote the entire script within 48 hours. Interestingly, in the film, he was credited as Vinay instead of his full name V. V. Vinayak. This led to some confusion among people who were not able to recognize him when he started using his complete name. Initially titled Sree, the film was completed within a remarkable period of 54 days.
A poster of V. V. Vinayak’s directorial debut film Aadi

His directorial, screenplay writing, and acting debut film Tagore showcased renowned actors such as Chiranjeevi, Jyothika, Prakash Raj, and Shriya Saran in pivotal roles.
A scene from V. V. Vinayak’s film Tagore

He directed the movie Alludu Seenu in 2014, which marked the debut of Bellamkonda Sreenivas, the son of renowned film producer Bellamkonda Suresh, who had previously produced Vinayak’s first film as a director, Aadi.
A poster of V. V. Vinayak and Bellamkonda Sreenivas’s debut film, Alludu Seenu

After 2018, he decided to take a hiatus and made a comeback in 2023 with the Hindi film Chatrapathi. This movie starred Bellamkonda Sreenivas and Nushrratt Bharuccha in the lead roles.

A poster of V. V. Vinayak’s debut Bollywood film, Chatrapathi

V. V. Vinayak (right) with Bellamkonda Sreenivas (centre), and Jayantilal Gada

He entered the film industry as an actor with his debut film Tagore in 2003, where he made a cameo appearance as Gopi. In 2019, there was an announcement that he would be playing the protagonist in the movie Seenayya, directed by Dil Raju; however, the project was later cancelled. Throughout his career, he has primarily made cameo appearances in numerous films.
A poster of V. V. Vinayak’s film Seenayya, in which he was the lead actor. which was later shelved

He possesses various properties, including grand residences and theatres. One of the theatres, Veera Venkata Vinayaka Talkies, was named after him by his father.

He was extended an offer to run for elections in 2019 on the YSR Congress ticket; however, he declined the offer as he had no intention of participating in electoral politics.

He shares a strong brotherly bond with Chiranjeevi and often refers to him as his brother. Additionally, he held the position of President of Chiranjeevi’s Fans Association Club, further highlighting their close relationship.
V. V. Vinayak with Chiranjeevi (right)

Government authorities demolished his house in Narsingi in June 2019 because he had obtained permission to construct a building with G+2 floors, but he had instead constructed a building with G+6 floors. Before the demolition, notices were sent to him regarding the violation, but he did not respond to any of those notices. ^[1]The Times of India

When he began working in Tollywood, he regarded Ram Gopal Varma, Raghavendra Rao, and S. S. Rajamouli as his primary sources of inspiration and considered them to be the biggest influences in his career.
V. V. Vinayak (left) with Prabhas and S. S. Rajamouli (right)

During an interview, he expressed that his film Badrinath, which starred Allu Arjun and Tamannaah, was the most challenging project to shoot. The difficulty arose from the fact that the filming took place in mountainous regions.

V. V. Vinayak (right) with Allu Arjun on the sets of the Badrinath film

V. V. Vinayak (right) with Tamannaah on the sets of the Badrinath film