"Although the film is based on a real incident, the director crafted the script with mainstream appeal in mind. The movie is entertaining," says producer Venu Udugula about his upcoming release, Raju Weds Rambai. Set for a November 21st release in theatres, the film is based on a true incident that happened somewhere between Warangal and Khammam. In his latest interview, Venu talks about the movie's highlights.
Directed by Saailu Kampati, the film will head to theatres on November 21.
Producer Venu Udugula:
I became a producer to bring out meaningful content. In this endeavour, Raju Weds Rambai has been made. It will be as memorable as films like Premisthe, 7G Brindavan Colony, Baby, and Sairat.
Atrocities like honour killings have happened in our society. Films with that element have been made. However, Raju Weds Rambai deals with a brutal incident that has never been explored before. I felt I should produce the movie. Incidentally, around the time I ventured into this project, ETV Win evinced interest in a collaboration with me. Later on, Vamsi Nandipati and Bunny Vas joined our project.
Dramatization of the true incident on which our film is based was needed for cinematic reasons. My second directorial, Virata Parvam, was based on a true incident. There, I could reveal the identities of the characters involved. In the case of Raju Weds Rambai, we couldn't have taken the names of real persons. So, we have given them fictional names.
Akhil and Tejaswi have performed exceptionally. While Akhil was easy to cast, we had to slog hard to find the female lead. We auditioned several girls and finally picked her. The duo participated in acting workshops.
When we cast Chaitanya Jonnalagadda for the role of the heroine's father, I was not aware that he is Siddu Jonnalagadda's brother. He had a well-paying job in the US, which he quit to pursue his acting dreams.
Contrary to what the audience might be assuming, Raju Weds Rambai doesn't have a tragic ending. If anything, it will evoke optimism in the viewer. When daughters fall in love, parents typically become anxious. For those parents, our movie will come as a pleasant surprise.
Suresh Bobbili's music is moving. I have known him for many years. We struggled to gain a foothold in the film industry together. Only he could have delivered such an output.
In my journey to becoming a producer, I gained valuable insight into the challenges inherent in production. I am currently developing a series adaptation of Keshava Reddy's writings. Furthermore, I will be directing a feature film under the UV Films banner, with the lead actor to be announced soon.
Producer Rahul Mopidevi:
I come from a TV background. Since I gained enough experience there, it was relatively less hard doing this film.
As we said, this film is based on a true incident. And we shot all the scenes in the very village where the incident took place. Thereby, we got the opportunity to cast the locals in some bit roles. The logistics were hard. The crew used to travel 35 kms every day to reach the remote village. They stayed in a hotel in an urban locality. Incessant rains during the shoot made the process all the more difficult. An unexpected bridge collapse incident meant that they were stranded the whole night.
The lead performances will be loved by the audience. Tejaswini, despite being a non-Telangana girl, aced the local dialect very well. Akhil is a proper Telangana guy.
