Vijay Binni

Vijay Binni's professional story is, at its core, a choreographer's story — one that eventually opened a door into directing. He spent the better part of the 2010s building his reputation in Telugu film choreography, with credits on *Run Raja Run* (2014), *Okka Kshanam* (2017), and *Jersey* (2019), the last of which went on to earn significant critical attention in Telugu cinema. He also worked in the reality television space, contributing to *Dhee 6*, one of Telugu television's more popular dance competition formats. That kind of range — features, reality TV, different genres — suggests someone who wasn't just waiting for a directing break but was genuinely working across the industry. His directorial debut came with *Naa Saami Ranga*, released January 14, 2024. The film is a Telugu-language remake of the 2019 Malayalam film *Porinju Mariam Jose*, relocated to Thrissur, Kerala and set across the 1980s–1990s. Nagarjuna Akkineni leads the cast alongside Ashika Ranganath in what is, frankly, a demanding project for any first-time director — a period action film with a star of Nagarjuna's stature doesn't leave much room for a shaky hand behind the camera. The film earned over Rs. 15.63 crores in its opening four days (Times of India), a result that landed it firmly in the conversation for Sankranti releases that year. *Naa Saami Ranga* is currently available for streaming on Hotstar and Star Maa, extending its reach well beyond the theatrical window. Binni's dual identity as choreographer-turned-director isn't unusual in Indian cinema, but his specific path — grounded in Telugu film choreography across multiple successful productions before stepping up — gives him a practical fluency with on-set filmmaking that not every first-time director can claim.