Says Satya who will be seen as the male lead in the director’s ‘Jyothi Lakshmi’ that is gearing up for a release this Friday. In a conversation with Pranita Jonnalagedda, he shares his journey so far, how acting was an inherent choice, support from his family and the experience of working with the director he admires

Satya says he cherished the dream of becoming an actor ever since he was a kid. “When I was in Class II, I was enacting a scene from ‘Kodama Simham’ where Chiranjeevi goes on a rope and I hurt myself in the process. That incident is etched in the form of a scar on my forehead even today,” recalls the Visakhapatnam bred actor, flashing a smile.
  

Satya on the sets of 'Jyothi Lakshmi' with Puri Jagannadh and Charmme

Starting off his career with an impressive performance in ‘Maine Pyaar Kiya’, he is now in the news for being cast as the male lead in Puri Jagannadh’s ‘Jyothi Lakshmi’. “When I was auditioning for the film, I didn’t really know about the role I was going to play because I had enacted a villain and assumed that’s what I will have to do. I was asked to lose some flab and return. After two months, when I was told that I was going to play the lead, the happiness I felt within me was immense,” the actor, who plays Charmme’s romantic interest in the film, reminisces.

 The experience of working with Puri, insists Satya, is nothing short of addiction. “If addictions like alcohol and smoking are one thing, I learnt that it is possible to also be addicted to a person after meeting and interacting with him.”

He adds an as afterthought, “If I talk about him, I will not stop! He never loses his cool; at least I never have seen him yelling at someone on the sets. He has a definite vision of what he wants and that’s the reason we finished the film in flat 36 days.”

With his ability to perform, and a baritone many vie for, it will be safe to assume that Satya’s innings in Tollywood will be long and interesting. Moreover, he is keen to experiment and doesn’t want to limit himself to clichéd lead roles. “My aim is to explore a variety of roles. I don’t just want to be a hero. I want to be able to portray any role with ease. I would rather opt for a story which drives a film than have the story weaved around me,” he shares. “I want to play roles on the lines of Irrfan Khan.”

The 28-year-old actor is glad to have a family that is immensely encouraging. “My parents always gave me a free hand to choose what I wanted to do with my life. And then my wife walked in.  She was of immense support, pushing me hard to achieve my dream. The three of them and my sister are the four pillars of support in my life,” he says thankfully.

Versatility is her strength and simplicity is her style. Nithya Menen is one actress who has attracted audiences with nothing but talent. Her three films – ‘S/o Satyamurthy’, ‘Ok Bangaram’ and ‘Ganga’ (which released in Tamil) are wooing audience and the actress says it wasn’t planned.

“When I signed them, I didn’t think they would release like this. I shot them at different times. But I am glad that people got to see me in completely different kind of films. As an actor, I am immensely satisfied,” shares the actress who has been the talking point both in Tamil and Telugu, courtesy her stint as Tara in Mani Ratnam’s ‘Ok Bangaram’.


Quiz her if the role was too bold a step, she replies, “As an actor, I should be able to do everything and anything. I will do a film when I sense a match in the wavelength of the filmmaker and me. Relationships, love and marriage are emotions that are sacred and I have immense respect for them. I am happy to express – especially love because it’s a beautiful feeling.”

I luckily got a chance to click a picture with the actress!
And also a picture clicking the picture :)

A live-in relationship is the key premise of the film and the petite actress says she has no right to judge whether something is right or wrong. “Everyone has the right to make a choice but trying to rub the same opinion on someone else is wrong. My opinion about the live-in style of relations is the same.”The actress, till recently, has limited herself to smaller films which gave her a lot of scope to perform. But ‘S/o Satymurthy’ came as a bolt from the blue to her fans.

“I have worked across all the four industries in south and the acceptance from the Telugu audience has been most phenomenal. And so, I felt that when there’s so much love, why not give them what they want. Here, commercial cinema is what they like and that’s probably the reason I green-lit the film,” she explains.

But aren’t women limited to a few songs and sequences in such cinema? “Look at Nadiya’s role in ‘Attarintiki Daaredi’. That was a strong female role. When we talk about women playing prominent roles, they do not always have to be protagonists. A meaningful role that is portrayed well by the director is a winner. The world and films are patriarchal in general, so making a space here is what makes a difference,” reflects Nithya.

All geared up to fascinate audiences with his role as Gopala Rao, a non-believer of God in ‘Gopala Gopala’,  a remake of Bollywood sleeper hit ‘Oh My God!’, superstar Venkatesh talks about why he decided to remake the film, his desire to work in a very big multi-starrer, God and a lot more…

When Venkatesh first saw ‘OMG – Oh My God!’ it was the film’s concept that took him by surprise. “I felt such stories should be told to people. And when a message is given with a quotient of entertainment, without any preaching, what more could one ask for?” says the actor, speaking about why he chose to star in the Telugu remake of the film, ‘Gopala Gopala’.

Venkatesh in 'Gopala Gopala'

Ask what he likes about his character, he is quick to reply, “The graph of my character – the transition from a non-believer to a believer – is beautiful. All of us go through this at some point and that is why I connected to it. Not that I was a non-believer, but there’s always a time during our ups and downs when thought of God moves away from us and then later we realise that he is not somewhere else but deep within us.”

And the cherry on the cake for Venkatesh was the opportunity to work with good friend Pawan Kalyan. “We’ve been considering working together for the past 10 years and I’m glad things finally fell in place for this film. We have a connection in a spiritual way and I think the film was a perfect platform for us to come together,” he shares. Admittedly he is all praise for Pawan’s portrayal of Lord Krishna in the film. “To be God on screen, one’s body language needs to be divine. There’s a perfect look that is required. And I think he has done a fabulous job. He made great efforts to get into the skin of the character.”

Besides Pawan Kalyan, the actor has earlier starred in films with Mahesh Babu and Ram and he says he has no qualms about being part of multi-starrers. “When everyone has well-defined characters, there is nothing negative about these films,” he avers, while adding jokingly, “I wish we can do a film like ‘Avengers’ where 10 of the big stars come together and we have a poster with everyone on it! Just visualise it. Isn’t that amazing?”

Venky, as he’s popularly addressed by his fans, feels that when there is comfort between the actors, it is amazing for the camaraderie. “When we are comfortable with each other, there is no artificiality in the emotions. It looks real and comes out spontaneously,” he states.

As we speak of that, two of his three multi-starrers are remakes – ‘Gopala Gopala’ being one of them. Is that a conscious decision of Venkatesh? “Well, I wouldn’t look at it that way. It may be a remake but in the end, it is a good story. And since we are trying to reach out to audiences of the Telugu diaspora, why not be a part of the film?” he says with surprise in his voice.

So is the Telugu audience ready for a film like ‘Gopala Gopala’ that explores the controversial subject of religion? “I think they are. Because when a film like ‘PK’ was well received, it is a sign that the viewers have begun to accept novelty and new ideas. Moreover, we have taken extra care that no sentiments are hurt through our film.”

On a departing note, he adds, “Many people fear God. But through this film, our message is that one should be God loving not God fearing. We treat him as something way beyond but what we need to realise is he is in your heart.”

Before he signs off, we take a jiffy to ask him about what’s next after the film. “I have signed no films now. I am going to travel for a while… somewhere in India only. Also, I have some prior personal commitments so I won’t be able to make time to attend the cricket World Cup. Not even CCL.”

“A woman’s body is the most beautiful thing that God created and to see it in a very voyeuristic context heightens the thrill element in ‘Ice Cream’”

- Ram Gopal Varma

Ram Gopal Varma

Maverick director Ram Gopal Varma will soon be back in theatres with the film ‘Ice Cream’, a thriller starring Tejaswi and Navdeep. With new technology in hand, and a new face in tow, the director is all set to woo the audience. Ahead of the film’s release, he speaks to Hans Talkies. Excerpts from the interview:

The title ‘Ice Cream’ conveys something lovey-dovey but the theme of the film seems to be totally opposite – as in there’s nothing ‘horrific’ about the name. How and why did you choose the title?
Instead of having an A for Apple kind of title for a horror film like ‘Raat’, ‘Bhoot’, etc., I thought of an extreme, opposite and contrasting title like ‘Ice Cream’; I felt it will give it a very fresh tone which will invariably creep into all the other facets of the film.
 
All through the promotions of the film, your concentration is more on the flowcam rather than the actual content of the film. Why is that? Is this really going to revolutionise filmmaking?
Whether it will revolutionise or not is not for me to say, but as a director with more than two decades of experience, I can say for sure that it has the potential to turn the film industry upside down – both in terms of its economics and approach.
 
Through the trailer, it seems that you’ve concentrated on Tejaswi’s physical attributes quite a bit. What is the fascination with a woman’s body that you seem to explore in most of your films?
A woman’s body is the most beautiful thing that God created and to see it in a very voyeuristic context heightens the thrill element in ‘Ice Cream’.


You have never stopped making films and you are unperturbed by your critics. Is it because at some point you want to deliver a hit and prove them wrong? Also, do you think it is more important that you keep making films or that you see success?
I have answered this question a million times. But since no one listens to me anyway, I will answer one more time just to satisfy you. Yes. I only love to make films and nothing else. If I only think of success I wouldn’t have done path-breaking films like ‘Nishabd’ where Amitabh Bachchan falls in love with an 18-year-old girl Jiah or song-less films like ‘Sarkar’, ‘Bhoot’ and ‘The Attacks of 26/11’, ‘Not a love story’, etc. Some films work and some don’t and I have no way of knowing beforehand.
 
Despite the fact that your films fail to impress critics, they rarely incur losses at the box-office. Why do you think that happens?
That’s a question which will be best answered by those who don’t like my films.
 
Many filmmakers who’ve worked with you seem to honour you and feel that you changed the face of Indian cinema. One such name is Hansal Mehta who said recently, “It’s time for Ramu to re-invent himself. All of us who believe in his talent will stand by him. He has to be get back into form.” He also added, “He’s just being stubborn. All he needs to do is listen to people who care for his cinema, correct his mistakes and he’ll be back in form.” Would you agree with him? Do you really think you need to re-invent yourself?
I really like Hansal and I also loved his latest film ‘Citylights’ and I don’t mean him in particular, but in general I would advise people to first concentrate their time and energies on what they are doing themselves instead of wasting it on others. Any change if needed will only come by itself and not because of advices and wishes.
 
Anurag Kashyap, another director who worked with you, said that you are history as in – “Ram Gopal Varma was… not is” – What would your comment on this be?
Well, I love Anurag and he is very talented. As for his comment on me, I wouldn’t like to comment on it. It’s a free country and anyone can express what he feels. He expressed his and I expressed mine in the beginning of this answer.
 
There is always talk that most of the things you do are for the sake of publicity – cheap publicity as has been said recently – would you agree?
Even this I have answered many times. I state what I feel about films and various issues happening in the world.
 
You seem to have an amusing take on everything going on around the world and do write about it on Twitter. Aren’t you scared or worried it brings you enemies?
You won’t find a single tweet of mine where I hurt someone. So making enemies on that account didn’t happen till today.
 
An aspect of RGV that the public hasn’t known about yet?
It’s the fact that I am worse than what they think and better than what they don’t think.

Young duo Alia Bhatt and Varun Dhawan, who were last seen together in their debut film, ‘Student of The Year’, were at their playful best during the promotion of their upcoming film, ‘Humpty Sharma ki Dulhaniya’ in Hyderabad. The movie which will see the two pair up for the first time after their debut is a “modern day love story” according to the two. Sharing insights about the film, which has been produced by Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions, Varun Dhawan says, “This film is not a typical love story and my character, Humpty, is not the usual Hindi film hero. People talk about actors kissing multiple times in a single film. But this movie will be totally different! Here, Alia slaps me 22 times!”

Agreeing to it, Alia says, “Yes, I did! The character I play in the film, Kavya, is a pataka. She is angry and moody; you can call her a female version of Sunny Deol from ‘Gadar’.” Varun nods in agreement and states that it is the ‘massiest’ character that Alia has played till now. “All the herogiri you’ll see in the film will be by her! Not me.”

Both the actors, interestingly, have a Hyderabadi connection, though this is the first film they are promoting here. “As a kid, I used to accompany my father, who would shoot at Ramoji Film City. You know those Govinda and Karishma movies? I never thought I would come here to promote my film one day. But then I am finally here!”

He adds, “I also have friends here, belonging to the south cinema. I know Ileana since ‘Main Tera Hero’ and Hansika – who I would say is my favourite actress down south – is a childhood friend.”

Alia, however, has a different tale to tell, “I have a very close friend from city and she keeps talking about NTR. She actually thinks I should date him!” Varun interrupts as he asks, “Isn’t he married?” Alia replies laughing, “I know! And so we should probably keep that bit to ourselves.”

So is the actress going to be seen in Telugu cinema anytime soon? “Though nothing has been finalised, I would like to work with NTR! I haven’t watched his movies. But my friend talks a lot about him. Also there’s Surender Reddy. His movies are good.” Varun adds, “She should work with the director of ‘Pokiri’. What’s his name? He is legendary!”

Alia has been tagged the ‘female Emraan Hashmi’ in recent times. So does she take it as a compliment? “Not really. I have done only four films till now out of which there is no kiss in only one film. So it would be unjust to say that. To call me a serial kisser, I should have kissed in at least 10 films, no? Though I am stunned that there is a talk as such, I think I wouldn’t mind because Emraan Hashmi’s movies and songs are hits! I wish the same for all my films too.”

Varun on the other hand seems to be ready with another Telugu film’s remake? ‘Race Gurram’ is the name that has been doing the rounds for sometime. Varun dispels the talk saying, “It’s too early to say anything. I have watched the movie and I found it to be awesome. I might be doing some Telugu remake. But nothing is final yet.”

Varun and Alia will be seen as Punjabis in the film and share a fantastic chemistry, which was palpable in the press meet. 

Says Raashi Khanna, the new girl in Tollywood who made her debut in Srinivas Avasarala’s rom-com, ‘Oohalu Gusagusalade’

Delhi girl Raashi Khanna never knew that she would be part of the glamour industry till she took up modeling as a hobby while in college. Keener on advertising as a career option, the girl’s chance entry into films brought her to Tollywood where she will soon make her debut with ‘Oohalu Gusagusalade’.

“I was a geek! Never watched movies and wanted to make my career in advertising. But that didn’t work out and here I am, an actress,” says the 23-year-old girl. Her stint with films started when she was selected for a role in the film ‘Madras Café’, where she shared screen space with John Abraham and Nargis Fakhri. “It was a wonderful experience. The team never let me feel like I was a newcomer,” she says.

When quizzed as to how working in a Telugu film was, Raashi says that she “had doubts” in the beginning. “I didn’t know the language. It wasn’t easy. I used to rehearse every scene a couple of times. And now I can understand Telugu well and am also managing conversing in it a bit,” she explains. 

“‘Oohalu…’ was a difficult film because the role I play – Sri Sai Sirisha Prabhavathi – is totally different from me. She is stubborn, and lacks emotions and is scared to fall in love,” Raashi says about her character in the movie.

On a concluding note is she wary of the competition in the industry? Raashi adds that she isn’t intimidated by the competition she has in the industry. “I am a very secure person. I have no fear because I know hard work always pays off,” she quips. ‘Oohalu Gusagusalade’ has helped her grow as an actor she says as she adds appreciating Srinivas Avasarala for being a “great director”. What about co-star Naga Shourya? “He’s a fabulous and hard working guy. He is focused in his work and it was a great experience working with him.”

Venkat Rahul who was recently seen in the film ‘Billa Ranga’ with a performance that tickled the funny bone of audiences, proved his mettle in a different role compared to the one in his debut film, ‘Alias Janaki’. The actor spoke to us about his star cousins Chiranjeevi and Pawan Kalyan, his career plans, his marriage and a lot more. Excerpts:

In ‘Alias Janaki’ you were seen in a serious avatar and in ‘Billa Ranga’ we saw a funny side of you. Was it the fear of being stereotyped?

No. I always want to grab every opportunity that is within my limitations. If I believe in a script I will do it. As for ‘Billa Ranga’ I did it because it was a challenge for me. The character in ‘Alias Janaki’ is serious and that’s what I am like in real life. So I felt ‘Billa Ranga’ will be a test to my skills.

‘Alias Janaki’ didn’t fare well…

I believe every actor is the product of the director. No director would compromise in terms of what he requires. For the film I did my job and gave my 100 per cent. There was a lot of effort but it is unfortunate it didn’t click.

What are your upcoming movies?

Piravi is a Tamil film in which I will be seen as the antagonist. But the other interesting movie is ‘Relli Veedhi’. Though I can’t reveal much about the film there’s a small part I can tell. It is a biopic which is a sports based flick.

You are the cousin of stars Chiranjeevi and Pawan Kalyan. So that has possibly made an entry into the industry easy?

I have grown up watching Chiranjeevi’s films. That was the most important part of my childhood. But belonging to a star family is only a visiting card. It’s only hard work that will speak for you. There are many from the family already and everyone is here only because they have proved their mettle. The family tag can only help you to an extent.

What’s up on your personal front?

I will get married next year. My mother will select the girl for me. I don’t know if I have done anything that they wanted me to. But in this I want to make sure my parents are happy and have a say.

Says Tejaswi about a bold scene in the trailer of her upcoming film ‘Ice Cream’ which has been creating ripples online

She made her silver screen debut with ‘Seethamma Vakitlo Sirimalle Chettu’ (SVSC) in which she shared screen space with the likes of Mahesh Babu and Samantha.  Though not a major role, it sure did trigger a lot of interest in her and she was “flooded with offers” after that.

Tejaswi Madivada

But Tejaswi Madivada, a Telugu ammayi, wasn’t really interested in acting but took the first offer only because “it paid well”. “At that time, I was planning to pursue my Masters degree and wanted to pay the fee on my own. So that’s how I took my first role,” she explains. But interestingly, after a point of time, things changed when she realised that acting was something that came naturally to her. “I could express with ease and I realised I should be doing it,” she adds. The 22-year-old who is a dance instructor, specifically Hip-Hop, says her acting stint can be attributed to her dancing. “I had been working as a dance trainer and I got the chance to work in a soft drink advertisement with actor Allu Arjun. After that I started getting film offers. I think it is due to dancing that I find acting easy,” she elucidates.

While Tejaswi has worked with Samantha in ‘SVSC’, the two were seen together again in ‘Manam’. The duo is now known to share a bond and are apparently great friends. “She is my mentor!” she says adding that Samantha is a “great person”.

Tejaswi was seen in minor roles for a while. But now, she is coming into a different league with lead roles in several movies. Ram Gopal  Varma’s ‘Ice Cream’ being one of them. She will also play the lead in a Kranthi Madhav film, a film by Omkar and a Tamil film with director Ravi Chandran. So does she see her friend Samantha as a competition in the future? “No way! She’s no competition,” she exclaims. “She’s in a different league altogether.”

So coming back to lead roles, Tejaswi says her tryst with Ram Gopal Varma was “nothing like working with any other director”. 

“He’s totally different. I had worked with Puri (Jagganadh) sir in ‘Heart Attack’ and RGV is the sir of my sir! So I’d call him the ultimate sir,” she laughs.

Meanwhile, the trailer of ‘Ice Cream’ seems pretty interesting. But a still from the video is raising eyebrows as Tejaswi is seen taking off her shorts and the camera moves down along with the shorts.

“There isn’t much to it, really! It’s just a diversion, you know. A technique to divert the viewer. I think it wouldn’t be such a big deal if you watch it on the big screen.”

Acting is more challenging than direction because fitting into someone else’s imagination is a difficult task 

– Srinivas Avasarala

Srinivas Avasarala who has been able to carve a niche for himself in the industry as a bankable comic actor, will be making his directorial debut with the romantic comedy film ‘Oohalu Gusagusalade’ starring debutantes Shaurya and Rashi Khanna.

The actor-turned-director says that he is “happy with how the film has turned out” and adds, “I am not a wee bit nervous. I am expecting Friday to be an extension of my satisfaction.”

But it came as a surprise when he decided to venture into direction in spite of his successful innings as an actor. When quizzed as to how it happened, he says, “I had written a script and it was a natural decision to wield the megaphone. I don’t want to settle just as an actor. I want to try everything and my only intention is to be part of good films – be it as an actor or director.”

Being an actor, it must have been a completely different experience venturing into direction? “Definitely! It’s a great feeling to control the entire storytelling process. But acting is all the more challenging because trying to fit into someone else’s imagination is a difficult task.”

‘Oohalu…’ is a romantic entertainer he tells us as he adds that choosing this as a debut vehicle was because “it’s a safe choice”. “The film is commercially viable and easy to execute; I decided to play safe. The film isn’t anything different but is definitely going to be a pleasant watch. Instead of calling it a romantic comedy, I’d call it a humorous love story,” he says. But he avers that he is “sick and tired of romance and comedy” and would love to try his hands in a different genre soon.

Now that he has ventured into the love-dovey genre, what could the audiences expect from it? “As I said earlier, it will be a pleasant watch. But added to that is the comedy that will surely work. I am positive about it.”

What about his lead actors Rashi and Shaurya? “They were amazing. I tested Shaurya for nearly a month before he was finalised for the film. And Rashi… we just came across her. She has a tricky role to play and I think she has managed to pull it off with ease. I am lucky to have worked with the two talented actors. ”

The film’s promos suggest that Srinivas Avasarala will be playing a crucial role in the film and one may assume that it has negative shades to it. But he refutes the assumption as he explains, “Every story needs an obstacle to move forward and I may be that obstacle. But my role isn’t evil and and the audiences will not dislike me!”

Meanwhile, the title ‘Oohalu Gusagusalade’ is drawing some interest towards the film. ‘Murmuring thoughts’ is what it could roughly be translated to. Avasarala says, “The title literally means nothing. But the poetic beauty of the phrase and the fact that it conveys romantic feelings is why we selected it after considerations of some 50 other options.”

Giving credit to the film’s script, Samantha says she would have done the film even if the Akkineni family wasn’t involved with it.

A day before the release of her upcoming film, the highly speculated ‘Manam’, actress Samantha tells us that she is feeling the pre-release jitters. “It always happens with every film of mine. But this time it’s more than ever!” she says. If she had to sum up ‘Manam’ in one word she would just say ‘Manam’ because “the film is all about ‘us’ as a family”. 

All things ‘Manam’

'Manam'  has the distinction of being only the second film in the Indian film industry (the other was ‘Kal, Aaj Aur Kal’starring the Kapoor clan) that stars three generation of actors and the actress explains how special it is to her: “It’s not something that happens every day and not everybody has the chance to be part of something like this. It’s special to be part of this film. More so because not only is the film big but my character is of utmost importance to the script. If anybody else would have played my character I would have surely regretted it. I am lucky.”

Samantha has been called the glam doll for quite a while now and it seems she receives more attention for her looks than for her performances. But Samantha refutes that and says, “I began with ‘Ye Maya Chesave’ which needed a lot of acting potential. Then there was ‘Eega’ and ‘Yeto Vellipoindi Manasu’ and now there’s ‘Manam’. I make an attempt to work in at least one film in a year that showcases my acting prowess.”

The beauty further adds that though ‘Manam’ has received a lot of hype because of the involvement of the Akkineni family, she would have still done the film otherwise too. “It’s the script I believe in and director Vikram has a wonderful story in hand. In fact, I said a ‘yes’ as soon as I heard the story,” she says.

Talking about the director, Samantha tells us, “I initially couldn’t understand Vikram well but we have grown to become almost like best friends.”

Her character

I play two characters – a matured mother, Krishna, and a bubbly girl full of life, Priya – in one film and that is one thing I absolutely loved.

Working with actors belonging to three generations of the Akkineni clan helped Samantha give her best she says. “Each one of them gave their best and if I had to make a place for myself between them, I had to outdo them! And so I had to give my best too.”

The co-stars

Samantha will be pairing up with Naga Chaitanya for the third time after ‘Ye Maya Chesave’ and ‘Autonagar Surya’ so how has the familiarity worked for their chemistry? “When I began in ‘YMC’, it was a new language and big dialogues… I was nervous. We have been friends since then but now that I am a bit more confident, I feel a lot more comfortable and that results in better chemistry too.”

But there’s another lead actress in the film who is a lot more experienced too, Shriya Saran and there ought to be a comparison. But Samantha says, “I have seen Shriya’s movies earlier. She is a brilliant actress. But I think this is her best performance ever. In fact, she has never looked so beautiful.

The next and most important costar from ‘Manam’ would be the legendary Akkineni Nageswara Rao. And Samantha says it was an honour working with him. She tells us how he has been a “support” in times of insecurity, “During a function of ‘Ye Maya Chesave’, ANR garu had praised me for my performance. I never get affected by praise. But his was kind of special. And for a year or so whenever I felt insecure, I would just see the video of the function and feel reassured.”

The Akkinenis

“It was wonderful to see them sit together and talk. They make a beautiful family. Everybody says they are ‘The’ Akkinenis but when they are together, they are a normal, sweet family.”

Manchu Manoj is the lucky boy who gets to serenade sultry siren Sunny Leone as a gift on his 30th!

Actor Manchu Manoj, who turns 30 today, says he’s getting his birthday gift:  A movie with sexy actress Sunny Leone. Guess what? Peddannayya Manchu Vishnu is producing it under the 24 Frames Factory banner. With a  title like ‘Current Theega’ and a co-star like Sunny, we know who is going to generate that electrifying effect on screen.

This will be Sunny Leone’s debut in Telugu. So is the film’s team planning to cash in on the oomph factor of the sultry siren? “I would say not at all! In fact you will see her in a traditional avatar through the length of the film. This will be different. She isn’t just going to be seen in some item number!” Oops! That does come as a surprise. But Sunny Leone without the chutzpah does seem a bit out of place? “Wait till you watch the film. Though it is a cameo, it will be something crucial for the film and will be loved by the audiences.”

‘Current Teega’ will be the next for the actor after his stupendous comical outing in ‘Pandavulu Pandavulu Tummeda’ which was a complete family affair. “My performance in the film was appreciated… especially my enactment of a woman. I have been experimenting in all my films and I am loving it.”

So is he in a happy place in his career now? “Yes, of course. The only reason I became an actor was to try different roles and I think I am doing it. For instance in ‘Current Theega’ I play a village lad with lot of spunk. My character is that of a boy-next-door. It’s full of fun and masti. It’s a rough and tough character.”

Excited about working with director G Nageshwara Reddy, who had worked with older brother Vishnu for ‘Denikaina Ready’, Manoj says this is “the best team ever”. Apart from acting Manchu is known for involving himself in other aspects of filmmaking too. But the actor says this time he’s “just chilling with acting and not doing anything else”. Why not? “Earlier there were budget issues… the directors couldn’t deliver what they planned and exceeded the budget. So I had to become involved. The director is the captain of the ship. He should have clarity and know what he wishes to see in the end.”

‘Current Theega’ also stars Rakul Preet playing the female lead and Jagapathi Babu in a key role. The film is set for a release in August.

Says director Maruthi about his new movie ‘Kottha Janta’ which recently crossed two weeks successfully in theatres

By Pranita Jonnalagedda

Director Maruthi, the double entendre specialist of Tollywood, has made his presence felt in the industry with a style of his own. From youthful films he ventured into the horror-comedy genre with ‘Prema Katha Chitram’ and now, to lure family audiences, his latest to hit the screens, Allu Sirish and Regina-starrer ‘Kottha Janta’ has successfully completed two weeks in the theatres, and is running towards collection of profits. Here are excerpts fro

m an interview with the director:

What' the word on 'Kottha Janta'?

I didn’t give any interviews soon after the movie released because I wanted to wait till the film completed two weeks and see how the response was. There was a sense of fear in me because it was a new kind of film.

So was the result unexpected?

This is a different film from me. So I knew that youngsters, the general audience for my films, will surely be disappointed. There is no ‘heat’ like in my previous films. I had even warned the distributors that the film will have a slow start but will pick up from the second week – just like my film ‘Prema Katha Chitram’. The film has broken even in this time period and from now it will get on the profit mode.

Who is the inspiration for the selfish characters of the protagonists in the film?

Myself! I am a very selfish person. I always want me and those around me to be happy.

What are your next projects?

I am working on a few scripts right now. I read on a few websites about my projects with Nithiin and Naga Chaitanya. But nothing has been confirmed yet. I just narrated a line to Nithiin and he liked it and that’s about it. Nothing happened further. However, if I have the chance, I would love to work with everyone. Even my project with Venkatesh had to be postponed due to the delay of ‘Kottha Janta’.

Also ‘Lovers’ will have its audio release soon.

What about the Hindi remake of ‘Prema Katha Chitram’?

Talks are on with production houses and the cast will also be finalised soon. I will be directing the film myself.

Being a director and producer, is it stressful?

There was a time when I was jobless… for nearly 10 years. Managing multiple things feels great now and I try to keep myself busy. 

The film 'Na Bangaru Talli' won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Telugu. Director Rajesh Touchriver, who is at the Beijing International Film Festival, gives insights into the effort that went into the making of the film, the National Award and a lot more in an email interview with Pranita Jonnalagedda

What made you choose the theme of human trafficking for 'Na Bangaru Talli'?

Most of my films are based on human right issues. I am not interested in making masala films with heroine running around the trees and hero fighting 100 people at a time. That doesn't mean that I am against such kind of films. For me, my film should make some sense. In fact I am also working on a mass entertainment film right now, but it has got a deep social subject.

This is not the first time I am making a film on human trafficking. Earlier I made a documentary titled ‘Anamika’ in 2005. I travelled for six months across red light areas to make it. The film won three international awards and was taken in the curriculum of National Judicial Academy and Police Academy. I also made a few public service ads, documentaries and docu-fictions for UN, and also a few short films on the topic.

My wife Dr Sunitha Krishnan, an anti-human trafficking activist, used to tell me about stories of girls who she had rescued. When she told about the incident of this particular girl I told her that we will make this a feature film; because she was always keeps asking me to reach out to the masses about the subject.

Then I started interacting with girls who were at Prajwala Home (an NGO devoted exclusively to eradicating forced prostitution and sex trafficking, run by his wife Sunitha) and listened to their experience. I started writing the script by including real life incidents from the life of this girl and also from the lives of other girls, and I realized that this is something that can happen to any girl/woman belonging to any class, region and as a matter of fact, any part of the world.

What does the National award mean to you?

Still from 'Na Bangaru Talli'

The award means a lot to me, especially because it is for this film. Also because the award comes to the Telugu film industry! I was in Kerala, but I consider myself a Telugu because I started working in films through the Telugu film industry. This is my Karmabhoomi. The film is a bilingual in Telugu and Malayalam, but I preferred to send only the Telugu version as an entry to all the film festivals because rarely do Telugu films get national/international awards. I want Telugu films to be known internationally.

You have been making your presence felt across the globe at various film festivals. So how is this award different from all of them?

I have got so many awards internationally for my other films as well. But this is the first time that I sent my film for the national award and I won it! Getting recognition from your own people is the most satisfying thing. I didn’t realize how gratifying it is, till the National Award was announced. Sitting here at the Beijing International Film Festival where my movie is being screened, I have never felt more honored.

Were there any sacrifices you had to make to finish the film?

After the scripting was done, I approached a few leading Telugu producers, but none was interested in the subject. A few said it's not commercial and asked me to add some item number dance, glamour etc. A few of them said it will be an award film and that they aren’t interested in such films; they need mass entertainment. Showing nudity, rape and glamour in a film which is made against human trafficking… I thought was inappropriate! Later Sunitha and I took out our savings, mortgaged our flat and produced the film by ourselves. This film, unlike what those producers feared, is a complete family thriller with all the elements that will make a gripping watch for anybody.

Tell us something about the film's making?

The scripting itself was a tough job. When we make films on such kind of subjects, sad and grey parts of the life will be seen. There are many chances to show violence, sex, nudity, glamour et al. But Sunitha's first condition, before beginning the film, was that the entire family from a 10-year-old child to a 90 year old grand parent should be able to sit together and watch the film. So the visual scripting was challenging and I decided to create a new genre 'Family Thriller'.

While filming was challenging - I invested all my savings, after completion it was a virtual nightmare. I now feel that making a movie is easy but ensuring that it reaches theaters is the toughest part. I have shown this film to all the big names in the Tollywood industry. All of them pretended to become emotional after the film, but not a single one was willing to distribute it. I remember a big time producer/distributor with whom Sunitha was interacting. He rudely refused on grounds that this will not make any money and that it had no stars. But he was willing to accompany her to other distributors!

In spite of all these awards and recognitions, my greatest pain is that Sunitha and I decided to take all the risks, including mortgaging our house, so that we could reach out with this subject to the masses. But sadly we have not even sold the satellite rights of this film, leave alone reaching it to the theaters. I just pray we will reach it to theaters so the masses can watch it soon.

Why did you choose Telugu as a medium for the film? Do you think audience here will accept a film like this? 

The real story happened here in Andhra Pradesh. So I thought Telugu is the right language to tell the story, authentically.

Rajesh Touchriver

I think audiences are the best judge of cinema. If the film is made well and marketed like other regular films, the audience will definitely love it. May be that is why big time distributors are wary of taking this film - for the fear that if this film clicks, then there will not be any takers for the masala films.  

What is your next project?

I am working on two of my pet projects. One is on ethnic minority and the other is on feminist perspective on mythology. I am also doing some mass entertainment films, but with a strong social subject.