It is well known that Pawan Kalyan’s OG carried a strong Japanese flavour in both its visual style and soundscape.
Many of his scenes and even the music had a distinct Japanese tone, giving the film a unique international backdrop.
From the costumes to the background score, the makers consciously infused a Japanese aesthetic, which added to the film’s stylish appeal. Pawan Kalyan sang a song as well "Washi..".
Now, Varun Tej is coming up with KOKA (Korean Kanaka Raj), whose first glimpse has already generated considerable buzz.
What caught everyone’s attention is not just the look, but also the cultural shift, at the end of the glimpse, Varun Tej delivers a line in the Korean language, establishing the Korean backdrop of the film, showing the flag of South Korea.
Thus, in a way, while “Babai” Pawan Kalyan carried a Japanese background, “Abbayi” Varun Tej seems to be taking forward the trend with a Korean setting.
Interestingly, this Japanese–Korean link can also be seen among cousins in the Allu-Mega family.
Allu Arjun’s Pushpa had Japanese connections in its reach and popularity, with his character named Pushpa Raj. Now Varun Tej plays Kanaka Raj, again echoing a similar naming style with a different international influence.
Cinema often follows the success patterns of previous films, and these similarities show how inspirations evolve with changing trends.
International backdrops are clearly becoming a stylish statement in Telugu cinema.
