Nandamuri Balakrishna is King of Chaos in Dada, first look and release date out

The makers have officially unveiled Dada as the title of Nandamuri Balakrishna’s upcoming film, along with a first-look glimpse showcasing the actor in a retro avatar. Directed by Gopichand Malineni and produced by Venkata Satish Kilaru, the film is set to release in theatres on December 24, 2026.The title glimpse opens with a Hindi voice-over introducing Balakrishna’s character, before revealing a world that appears to be set in Mumbai during the 1980s. Balakrishna sports a striking retro look, complete with a leather jacket, cigar and white sunglasses, while the film presents him as the “King of Chaos”. The glimpse also shows him seated inside a police station as several police officers surround him, setting up a larger-than-life character who appears to be at the centre of the chaos.The teaser-style glimpse packs in punchy dialogues and high-energy action, while Thaman S’s background score amplifies the mass appeal of Balakrishna’s character reveal. Dada brings Balakrishna and Malineni together again after Veera Simha Reddy. The director, who recently made the Sunny Deol-starrer Jaat, has assembled a massive star cast for the new project. The cast includes Samuthirakani, Kajal Aggarwal, Manchu Manoj, Sarathkumar, Upendra Limaye, Abhimanyu Singh, Manish Wadhwa and Saswika. Manchu Manoj is set to play the antagonist, marking a much-awaited combination with Balakrishna.The December 24 release date also puts Dada in a crowded year-end window. Shah Rukh Khan’s King, Nagarjuna’s King 100 and Jumanji: Open World are also scheduled around the same period, while Avengers: Doomsday and Dune: Part Three are expected to arrive the previous week.With its retro setting, action-heavy glimpse and Balakrishna’s “King of Chaos” persona, Dada is positioned as another mass entertainer from the actor-director combination.- EndsPublished By: T Naga Maruthi AcharyaPublished On: Sep 7, 2026 14:43 IST