Both Puri Jagnanadh and Sekhar Kammula started out around the same time. Just that the latter has made only ten movies so far. Puri has not only made a larger number of movies but is also a bigger trend-setter. Kammula's feel-good treatment inspired a generation of multiplex filmmakers. Puri's heroes and characterizations inspired a generation of directors looking at making out-and-out commercial movies.
However, a key difference is that Kammula feels more updated in terms of understanding current trends. In a recent interview, he stated that he won't do Happy Days 2 today because he feels he doesn't understand Gen Z enough. This sort of self-awareness is crucial. When you use the right filters, you are inclined to arrive at bigger genres and newer stories. Had Kammula been ignorant, he would have tried to cash in on the popularity of Happy Days and done its spiritual sequel.
On the other hand, Puri doesn't show such a kind of maturity and awareness. He conceived Jana Gana Mana in the early 2010s, offered it to Mahesh Babu in 2016, and offered it again to Vijay Deverakonda in 2022. Thankfully, he has jettisoned the script because MB spurned him first and the failure of Liger forced him to give up on Jana Gana Mana.
Kammula recently said that he might not do a film like Leader today because people have changed. His Leftist sympathies might have made him make that statement, but at least, he is trying to probe and ponder. In contrast, you will see Puri threatening us with Jana Gana Mana even in 2035. That's because Puri believes commercial treatment matters, not thoughtful ideas.
