Balakrishna’s 80s Gangster Look in Dada: Gopichand Malineni Promises Family Drama

Balakrishna is set to appear in a striking new avatar in the upcoming film Dada, directed by Gopichand Malineni. Known for his powerful performances in action dramas, Balakrishna’s look in Dada has already generated buzz among fans and on social media. Gopichand Malineni, who has built a reputation for delivering mass entertainers, shared that he paid special attention to the star’s style, mannerisms, and overall swag for this role.

Speaking about the film’s concept, Malineni revealed, “Unlike other films, audiences can see a different version of Balakrishna garu, with that swag, mannerism and style. I worked on it relentlessly, took proper care and researched well for his character in the film.”

Dada is set in the 1980s and is described as a gangster action drama with a strong emotional core. The director clarified that while the film has the trappings of a don story, it will surprise viewers with its family-centric narrative. “Set against an 80s backdrop, Dada is a gangster action drama with underlying family emotion. Everybody is thinking this would be some strong don kinda film, but audiences can get unexpected emotional family content. And Balayya babu has that track record of having family emotions in action dramas, be it Narasimha Naidu, Simha or anything. And Dada definitely has a lot of it,” Malineni explained.

The film also stars Kajal Aggarwal as the female lead, with Manchu Manoj playing the antagonist. Sarathkumar and Samuthirakani appear in key roles, and Thaman S is composing the music. To maintain suspense, Malineni revealed only one of Balakrishna’s dialogues in the film’s initial glimpse, which he says was enough to excite audiences.

Dada is scheduled for a theatrical release on December 24, 2026, and expectations are high for Balakrishna’s fresh portrayal in this period action drama.