Kathanayakudu (2008 film)

Kathanayakudu
Directed by	P. Vasu
Produced by	C.Ashwini Dutt G.P. Vjaykumar
Written by	Marudhuri Raja (dialogues)
Screenplay by	P. Vasu
Story by	Sreenivasan
Starring	Jagapati Babu Meena Rajinikanth Nayanthara
Music by	G. V. Prakash Kumar
Cinematography	Arvind Krishna
Edited by	Saravana
Production company	Vyjayanthi Movies
Distributed by	Ayngaran (Worldwide) Pyramid Saimira (U.S.)
Release date	1 August 2008 (2008-08-01)
Running time	146 minutes
Country	India
Language	Telugu

Kathanayakudu (English: Hero) is a 2008 Indian Telugu language drama film produced by both Aswani Dutt and G. P. Vijayakumar and directed by P. Vasu. Remake of the Malayalam film Kadha Parayumbol (2007), the film stars Jagapati Babu and Meena in lead roles and Rajinikanth in an extended cameo. The film, which released to positive reviews and was a commercial success, was simultaneously made in Tamil as Kuselan, which released to mixed reviews and was a below average grosser. Most of Rajinikanth's portions were dubbed from the Tamil version, except the climax scene with Babu.

The film revolves around a villager, who had shared a strong friendship with a popular cinema actor in their youth. However, due to their different pursuit in careers they eventually are forced to part ways, one becoming a national figure, the other, a village barber. Decades later, the actor returns to the village to participate in his film's shooting. Whilst the entire village become excited about the prospect of seeing the actor, the barber fears that his old friend would have forgotten him and would neglect him. The story explores the pressures of friendship.

The emotional tale, the story is about two childhood friends Balakrishna (Jagapathi Babu) and Ashok Kumar (Rajinikanth). Balu does not stop at anything to make his friend feel happy. As time passes by, they take different paths, and Balu becomes a barber in a small village called Siricilla. He gets married to Devi (Meena Durairaj) and has three children and leads a happy life. However, his finances are dry and he is often led to the door of Dharmaraju (Dharmavarapu Subramanyam), the financier. On the other hand, Balu has tough competition from the more smart and clever Shanmugam (Sunil), who has a saloon right opposite to his shop. Balu is a man with self-respect and honesty. His life continues to roll until one day there is news that a film shooting is going to happen in a place near their village and the hero of the film is Superstar Ashok Kumar. The news spreads like wildfire and Balu knows this but hesitates to show himself as a friend of Ashok Kumar. On the other hand, folks around get to know the friendship of Balu and Ashok Kumar and in this process, those who have been ridiculing him start doing favors for him only with the intention of meeting Ashok Kumar or at least watching him from outside. But hesitant Balu is unable to do what they want and soon people start shunning him, and even his own children start showing anger towards him but at last, Ashok Kumar says about Balu, his childhood friend who made him a super star, and he meets Balu.