There are two kinds of people in the world, the rich and the poor. That is how Nagarjuna opens the King 100 glimpse, released on his 67th birthday on Saturday. Over the next 80 seconds, his voiceover walks you through what happens when a man crosses from one side to the other: cash piles up, gold bars stack like bricks, horse races are won, enemies multiply, a Rs 50,000 crore scam unfolds, riots erupt and somewhere in the wreckage, a baby needs saving.

“They called me a loser when I had nothing. But once I became rich, they started calling me The King,” Nagarjuna says in the voiceover, adding, “This identity is more powerful than money, but to keep it, I have to be on my toes.”

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The visuals establish a world of extreme wealth, including luxury sports cars, piles of cash and elite horse-racing tracks, before the tone shifts. The narrative links his character to a scenes of riots, social unrest and government officials working against him suggesting strong political undertones. The glimpse ends on an emotional note, with Nagarjuna’s character finding a baby in the aftermath of what appears to be a house fire, holding the child in his arms as rain pours around him, hinting at a father-daughter relationship at the centre of the story.

The film will reportedly use advanced de-aging technology to show Nagarjuna’s character at different stages of his life, from 25 to 60. Nagarjuna, who is 67, has described the film in earlier interviews as a “complete commercial entertainer.”

Nagarjuna and Tabu reunite after 28 years

One of the most significant aspects of King 100 is the reunion of Nagarjuna and Tabu, who are sharing the screen for the first time in 28 years. The two last appeared together in the 1990s, during which they were paired in several Telugu and Hindi films. Tabu’s involvement was confirmed earlier this year and has been one of the project’s biggest talking points.

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The team

King 100 is written and directed by Ra Karthik, who is making his Telugu directorial debut with this film. The music is composed by Devi Sri Prasad, continuing a long-standing collaboration with Nagarjuna. The cinematography is by Raja Mahadhevan, production design by Sathees Kumar N, and editing by Navin Nooli. The film is produced by Annapurna Studios and Manam Enterprises, the Akkineni family’s production banners.

100 films in four decades

The milestone of 100 films is significant for Nagarjuna, who made his acting debut with Vikram, directed by V. Madhusudhana Rao. Over a career spanning four decades, he has worked across Telugu, Hindi, Tamil and Malayalam cinema, delivering landmark films like Shiva, which is credited with redefining Telugu commercial cinema, Geethanjali, and Annamayya.

Nagarjuna also runs Annapurna Studios, one of the oldest and most respected production houses in Telugu cinema, originally established by his father, the legendary Akkineni Nageswara Rao, in 1976.