India, Feb. 3 -- In 2018, when Tharun Bhascker's Ee Nagaraniki Emaindi (ENE), starring Vishwak Sen, Sai Sushanth Reddy, Abhinav Gomatam and Venkatesh Kakumanu, hit screens, the buddy comedy found its audience and has become a cult hit through the years. After an announcement in June 2025 that the film's sequel, ENE Repeat, was officially in the works, news broke last month that Sushanth stepped away from the film. During the student-led Honest Townhall, Tharun revealed the reason.

Tharun admitted that in 2025, when they announced ENE Repeat, they weren't sure whether Sushanth was on board with the project, despite including his name. "When Sushi called, and he said this, I just broke. First, I got angry. The reason is that he moved on to...