On The Sets

TELUGU

Postman
You’ve got mail!

Ace actor-producer M Mohan Babu’s Sri Lakshmi Prasanna Pictures launched Postman, with a song recording muhurat at the Kodandapani Audio Lab, Chennai, on August 21. Directed by Muppalaneni Siva, the film has Mohan Babu, Soundarya and Raasi in lead roles.

Says Mohan Babu, “The story has all the ingredients — a healthy dose of comedy, touching sentiments, good music and wholesome entertainment. Muppalaneni Siva, who has been an assistant director with our banner, is the director. I’ve promised him a movie offer, much before the success of Raja. Paruchuri Brothers have come up with crisp dialogue. KS Prakash who directed me in the big hit, Rowdygari Pellam is the cinematographer. We are recording all the six songs under the baton of music director Vandemataram Srinivas. The shoot commences on August 26. From September 5 the regular shoots begin in a phased manner till November. I am planning to release the movie either in the last week of December or early January.”

Siva is only too happy to work under the popular Sri Lakshmi Prasanna Pictures banner. “I thank Mohan Babu for reposing faith in me. The subject has all the ingredients one expects from a Mohan Babu starrer.”

Kanta Rao, Sudhakar, Kota Srinivasa Rao, Brahmanandam, Bharani, Raja Ravindra, Rakhi, Ravibabu, MVS Chowdary, Annapurna and Rajitha are in the cast. With M Krishna as the executive producer, Master Manoj Kumar presents the movie produced by Mohan Babu.

Naga Gouri
Serpent in the family!

Veteran producer Pinaja Subba Rao is back after a hiatus of nearly a decade from Telugu films. Earlier he had also produced eight films in Hindi which include, Ek Nayi Paheli, Kalakaar, Mera Jawab and the Mithun-Govinda-Sanjay Dutt starrer Jeete Hain Shaan Se.

“I started my banner, PSR Pictures in 1967 and made 12 films in Telugu and eight in Hindi. I enter the arena again with a sure bet — Naga Gouri, a socio-fantasy. The film has Gauthami, Srividya and Nizhalgal Ravi in the lead and is directed by Chozharajan and M Rosi Raju.

Chillara Bhavanarayana, who has written for the banner since Pedarasi Peddamma Katha, pens the dialogue for this film too. Says Bhavanarayana, “PSR is like my home banner. It’s nice to be back here. Set against the backdrop of a family, the subject has interesting twists and turns. A mother gives birth to a strange male child. At sunset, the boy turns into a snake, and grows up as one. The ordeals of the heroine, the subsequent reasons for the curse are well narrated. The climax song is unique.” Bhavanarayana had earlier won the state best lyric writer and screenplay awards for Kanyaka Parameswari. The dialogue for the movie are by Bhavanarayana and Suryadevara, while Kaladhar joins them in writing the lyrics set to tune by CS Ganesh.

The Mummy in Telugu

The re-image version of Universal Pictures’ 1932 classic, The Mummy starring Brendon Fraser, Rachel Weisz and John Hannah and directed by Stephen Sommers is being dubbed into Telugu by Hansa Pictures. Vennelakanti writes the dialogue for the Telugu version. A few clippings from the movie were shown to the press in Chennai, recently. Set against a period backdrop The Mummy is a rousing, suspense-filled and horrifying epic about an expedition of treasure-seeking explorers in the Sahara Desert in 1925. Stumbling upon an ancient tomb, the hunters unwittingly let loose a 3000 year old legacy of terror, which is embodied in the vengeful reincarnation of an Egyptian priest who had been sentenced to an eternity as one of the living dead. With superbly done up action scenes and graphics, the film promises to be an edge-of-the-seat fare. The dubbed version will be released on September 24.

Sambaiya
Srihari as a paanshop man

Srihari one of the top-ranking villains of Telugu filmdom turned hero with Police. With the audience accepting him as an upright police official in a big way, he has wrapped up Deva, his second film as hero, in quick time. The film has opened to a good response all over AP. Recently, he launched his third, Sambaiya, at Nanakramguda Studios. Being produced by Srinivasa Rao (Srihari’s elder brother) and B Suresh under the banner of Sri Sai Ganesh Productions, the film will be wrapped up in a single schedule.

Writer Posani Muralikrishna who has penned many a hit in the past has etched out a very powerful character for Srihari. Director Nageswara Rao is on the verge of a hat-trick with Srihari, after the two hits, Police and Deva. The rest of the cast will be finalised shortly.

Srihari who plays a paanshop owner in the film said, “My brother has wanted to make a film with me for a very long time. We were waiting for the right script. This one’s been well worth the long wait, and is a far better than both my films as hero.” Prakash Raj who plays a key role in the film recounted their days of struggle: “Six years ago both of us were struggling to get a foothold in Telugu industry. Now Srihari has become a hero. I am proud of him because he made it on his own with sheer hard work and determination and I’m confident he’s poised to scale greater heights.”

Says writer Posani, “It’s the story of an innocent Hindu paanshop owner in a Muslim locality. His innocent questions encourage people to probe further on several strange goings-on.” Music by Vandemataram Srinivas and cinematography by Vijaykumar are other credits.

No Entry
Soft porn’s back

There has been a revival of sex educational films in the South and Jaydevan, an old master of soft-porn flicks, has come into the scene with No Entry, which he claims is a film that educates the young about free sex and the AIDS threat. The lead pair is Raghuvan and Babilona. Raghuvan is a sportsman and athlete, the toast of the college. His friends take him along to a brothel, where he is initiated into sex. Soon he is afflicted with AIDS.

Babilona, the niece of former sexbomb, Mayavi, makes her debut as the hero’s fiancee. The film is to be released in all the South Indian languages as well as in Hindi. With cinematography by Palraj, the film is produced by Kalaidevi Combines.

KANNADA

Preethsodhu Thappenilla
Ravichandran’s next

Th emuhurat for Ravichandran’s next, Preethsodhu Thappenilla was held at a posh house at RBI Colony, Bangalore. Sriramulu sounded the clap board and Master Uday switched on the camera. A remake of the Telugu hit, Tholi Prema, the film is produced by SSV Arts and directed by remake specialist, VS Reddy, his fifth.

Devika makes her debut opposite Ravichandran. KS Ashwath also puts in an apperance. Thai Nagesh of Tamil films stages a comeback to Kannada after Gadibidi Ganda. Srinivasamurthy, Mandya Ramesh, Chitra Shenoy, Shivaparvathi, Thirupathi Prakash are also in the cast.

Seetharam is the cinematographer and Ravichandran himself scores the music.

Aaha Nanna Madhuveyanthe
Jaggesh in a laugh-riot

Royal Film Syndicate’s Aaha Nanna Madhuveyanthe, produced by Parimala Jaggesh, Chandan Suresh, JG Krishna and M Ramesh is ready for release. A comedy, start to finish, the Jaggesh starrer is directed by Saiprakash.

V Manohar has scored the music and Prasad choreographed the dances. Jaggesh, Charulata, Doddanna, Sadhu Kokila, Mukyamantri Chandru, Ashalatha, Sihikahi Cnahdru, Honnavalli Krishna, Bank Janardhan are in the cast.


Gajina Mane
Ramkumar, Prema teamed

KV Jayaram, known as a director of novel adaptations, has taken up yet another novel, this time, Dr H Girijamma’s, which he is producing and directing with his own screenplay.

Industrialist HC Puttaswamy sounded the clapper board at the film’s launch and Sandeep Jayaram switched on the camera for the maiden shoot picturised on Ramkumar and Prema.

The first schedule, a 30-day affair will be held in and aound Bangalore. YA Seenu is the cinematographer and debutant Gandharva is the music director. Dr Swamy is the dialogue writer. Also in the cast are Krishne Gowda, Shivadwaja, Bablu, Jeenraj and Umesh Bankar.