Naga Babu has been quoted as saying recently that a biopic on Megastar Chiranjeevi may not be desirable because the legendary actor's life doesn't have exciting twists. Nagarjuna offered a similar argument when asked about a possible ANR biopic. "There was no much drama in Nanna garu's life," he said last year.

The 'Mahanati' logic sounds reasonable but only to an extent. Chiranjeevi is a phenomenon of a different league. Should Ram Charan essay his father and it's directed by someone who has his pulse on style and "mass", the film can do wonders.

The kind of timeless songs that Chiru did, for example, lend themselves to cinematic representation even now. Even some of his punch lines sound quite updated today. Involve Pawan Kalyan's scenes in the film, the emotional connect will be even greater.

However, it might be a blunder if a VV Vinayak is approached to wield the megaphone. It has to be a Sandeep Reddy Vanga, one of the few directors who can surprise with his brand-new story-telling.