Teja Sajja on 'Zombie Reddy Nxt Lvl': franchise gave me freedom to take risks
Synopsis
Announced on his birthday, Teja Sajja's return to the Zombie Reddy franchise signals a major scale-up — a multilingual global release, Shanaya Kapoor's South debut, Real Star Upendra, and a director best known for The Family Man 2. The zombie-verse is getting its most ambitious chapter yet.
Key Takeaways
Teja Sajja announced 'Zombie Reddy Nxt Lvl' on his birthday, calling the franchise his most rewarding creative experience.
The sequel is directed by Suparn S.
Varma (The Family Man 2, Rana Naidu) and created by Prasanth Varma .
Shanaya Kapoor makes her South Indian cinema debut in the film, alongside Real Star Upendra .
Screenplay is co-written by Hussain Dalal , Prasanth Varma , and Suparn S.
The film will release globally in 7 languages : Hindi, Telugu, Kannada, Tamil, Nepali, Japanese, and Malayalam.
Produced by TG Vishwa Prasad and Krithi Prasad on a significantly larger scale than the original.
Actor Teja Sajja has opened up about what makes the Zombie Reddy franchise uniquely rewarding for him, saying it gave him the creative freedom to take risks and trust audiences — a confidence that now fuels the upcoming sequel, 'Zombie Reddy Nxt Lvl'. The sequel was officially announced on Sunday, coinciding with the actor's birthday.
What Teja Sajja Said
'For me, the most rewarding part of this journey has been the freedom to take chances and trust the audience to come along,' Sajja said. 'Zombie Reddy was one such leap, and the way people embraced that world and my character gave us the confidence to dream much bigger. Zombie Reddy Nxt Lvl is that dream taken several steps further. The scale, the action and the world we have created are far more ambitious this time, and I'm excited to see how audiences respond to it.'
Reflecting on the birthday announcement, he added: 'As I celebrate another birthday, I couldn't have asked for a better gift than returning to a franchise that means so much to me. We've raised the stakes, brought in an incredible team and pushed ourselves to create something truly entertaining. I'm looking forward to stepping back into the zombie-verse and making this next chapter an experience worth celebrating.'
A Bigger, Bolder Sequel
Building on the success of the original zombie action-comedy, Zombie Reddy Nxt Lvl promises a significant leap in scale, action, and world-building. The film also marks the South Indian cinema debut of Shanaya Kapoor and features Real Star Upendra in a prominent role — a casting combination that signals the franchise's pan-India ambitions.
The Creative Team Behind It
The sequel is directed by Suparn S. Varma, known for acclaimed projects such as 'The Family Man 2', 'Rana Naidu', and 'Haq', and is created by Prasanth Varma. The screenplay is penned by Hussain Dalal, Prasanth Varma, and Suparn S. Varma.
Varma spoke about the thematic ambition of the project: 'Every society creates monsters to process its deepest, collective anxieties. Zombies have always been the ultimate figments of our catastrophisation — they reflect our fear of losing control, of the breakdown of order. The plan with Zombie Reddy Nxt Lvl was to attempt the unprecedented. Having spent years crafting grounded, hyper-realistic political and emotional friction in projects, transitioning into this unapologetically chaotic sandbox is such a thrill. A huge shout out to the foundational brilliance that Prasanth Varma created. We hope to take that to the next level for a visceral cinematic experience.'
Scale and Release
The film is produced on a massive scale by TG Vishwa Prasad and Krithi Prasad. It is set for a global release in seven languages — Hindi, Telugu, Kannada, Tamil, Nepali, Japanese, and Malayalam — underlining its cross-border commercial ambitions. No release date has been confirmed yet.
Point of View
A director whose credentials are rooted in prestige OTT drama, to helm a zombie action-comedy is an unusual creative gamble that could either expand the genre's ceiling or dilute what made the original distinctive. Shanaya Kapoor's South debut adds Bollywood marquee value, but South Indian audiences will judge her on screen presence, not lineage. The seven-language release strategy reflects the industry's post-RRR conviction that genre films can travel across linguistic boundaries — a thesis that remains unproven at this scale for the zombie-comedy format.
NationPress
24 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is 'Zombie Reddy Nxt Lvl'?
'Zombie Reddy Nxt Lvl' is the sequel to the Telugu zombie action-comedy 'Zombie Reddy', starring Teja Sajja. The film was announced on the actor's birthday and promises a larger scale, bigger action sequences, and a global multilingual release.
Who is directing 'Zombie Reddy Nxt Lvl'?
The film is directed by Suparn S. Varma, known for 'The Family Man 2', 'Rana Naidu', and 'Haq'. It is created by Prasanth Varma, who built the original franchise.
Is this Shanaya Kapoor's South Indian debut?
Yes, 'Zombie Reddy Nxt Lvl' marks Shanaya Kapoor's debut in South Indian cinema. She stars alongside Teja Sajja and Real Star Upendra in the film.
In how many languages will 'Zombie Reddy Nxt Lvl' release?
The film is set for a global release in seven languages — Hindi, Telugu, Kannada, Tamil, Nepali, Japanese, and Malayalam — indicating significant pan-India and international ambitions.
Who is producing the sequel?
'Zombie Reddy Nxt Lvl' is produced by TG Vishwa Prasad and Krithi Prasad on a scale described as significantly larger than the original film.
