Tharun Bhascker reveals four friends inspired ‘Ee Nagaraniki Emaindi’

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Director Tharun Bhascker is bringing back the much-loved gang of friends with the sequel to his 2018 Telugu film ‘Ee Nagaraniki Emaindi’. Titled ‘ENE Repeat’, the upcoming film reunites Vishwak Sen, Abhinav Gomatam and Venkatesh Kakumanu, with Srinath Maganti joining the cast.

Ahead of its release, the filmmaker has opened up about the personal experience that inspired him to make the original film and how the story of friendship came about.

Tharun Bhascker reveals how four friends inspired ‘Ee Nagaraniki Emaindi’

In an interview with Cinema Express, Tharun recalled the pressure of following up the success of ‘Pelli Choopulu’. He said that while he had experienced failures in the past and several friends and relatives had distanced themselves from him, four friends continued to stand by him.

Their unwavering support eventually became the inspiration behind ‘Ee Nagaraniki Emaindi’.“I don't know why the film became such a huge hit, but I was under pressure to deliver with my next film. Before that, I had faced some failures, and all my friends and relatives left me, except for four friends. Those four people stood by me, no matter what I did or where I went. I felt it would be nice to make a film about that kind of friendship, and that is how Ee Nagaraniki Emaindi happened,” he said.

Tharun Bhascker says audience expectations are the biggest challenge for the sequel

With the sequel, the filmmaker is aware of the expectations attached to the original, which has developed a strong following over the years. Speaking about the challenge of making the second instalment, he said, “Even while making the sequel, our biggest competition is the audience's expectations.”Tharun also spoke about the positive atmosphere on the sets, crediting the collective effort of the team. Expressing confidence in the film, he said that he hopes to give audiences an entertaining experience in return for the love they have shown the original.

Tharun Bhascker calls ‘ENE Repeat’ a complete laugh riot

Talking about what viewers can expect from the sequel, the director said, “This is a film made with a lot of positive energy, and I believe that energy will spread to everyone. Wherever I went, people kept asking me when Ee Nagaraniki Emaindi 2 would arrive. I am here to give back all the love you have shown us. I am very confident about the film, and I am sure everyone will enjoy it. It's a complete laugh riot, and many scenes will give you goosebumps,” he said.

Cast and technical team of ‘ENE Repeat’

Vishwak Sen returns as Vivek, Abhinav Gomatam reprises his role as Kaushik, while Venkatesh Kakumanu returns as Uppu. Srinath Maganti joins the gang as Karthik. Anisha Ambrose, Shivathmika Rajasekhar, Karunakumar, Priyadarshini Ram and Mahesh Bhascker are also part of the cast.Written and directed by Tharun Bhascker, the film is produced by Srujan Yarabolu and Sandeep Nagireddy under the banners of SS Originals and Rootnode Cinema. Vivek Sagar has composed the music, AJ Aaron is handling cinematography and Raviteja Girijala is the editor. ‘ENE Repeat’ is scheduled to release in theatres on November 19, 2026.