This `andagadu' looks funny
Rajendra Prasad with Bhavana in `Andagadu'.
HUMOUR AND Rajendra Prasad are synonymous. It is said that he is a lucky mascot for debut heroines and directors. No wonder most new directors with light-hearted subjects prefer to start their career with him.
The latest to join the bandwagon is Pendyala Venkata Ramarao who is making his debut with Sri Nilaya Pictures ``Andagaadu".
The enthusiastic filmmaker invites us Planet 10 where he is filming a duet on hero Rajendra Prasad and Harika. "I feel I am fortunate to make my debut with Rajendra Prasad as the hero. He plays the role of jingles composer for advertisement shorts. Venumadhav plays his assistant. Sudha and Chandramohan are his sister and brother-in-law. They search for a bride for him and in one such episode, they show the photograph of Harika and tell him that the girl too has no parents but a sister and a brother-in-law just like him. The hero glances the photo and breaks into an imaginary duet with her," informed Ramarao as Rajendra Prasad and Harika dance to the tune of music director Sri and to the steps composed by dance director Shiv Shankar.
Story with a moral
Cinematographer Prasad Murella was busy capturing the sequence in his camera. For such title, the get up, especially the hairdo, of Rajendra Prasad looked rather funny and weird. "What matters for a man is the inner beauty and not his physical appearance. Beauty is skin deep, that's what we want to convey through the protagonist's character in the film," explains the director.
"It is a total entertainer in the Rajendra Prasad mould. The character he plays never allows any complex because of lack of good looks. But when he decides to marry, then he runs into problems. Harika is the third in the list of his matchmaker sister. Bhavana and Pavithra play the other two girls. Bhavana too shares a song and a scene with Rajendra Prasad. M.S. Narayana plays a pivotal role as the hero's neighbour."
Rajendra Babu with Damini, Chandra Mohan and Sudha.
Popular Kannada actor Damini, who plays the heroine, makes her debut in Telugu. "In the film, her elder sister (played by Padmini) is a fading heroine. The elder sister and her mother form the negative characters in the theme. Since her career in films is fading, the elder sister plans with her mother to launch Damini as a heroine to continue the legacy and the moolah. Damini detests this move, as she is in love with a young man who belongs to an orthodox rich family. So the girl escapes from her home and in a quirk of unexpected events takes asylum at Rajendra Prasad's house. This leads to a series of hilarious incidents taking the film to new highs in entertainment," smiles Ramarao.
Rich experience
He had worked as a co-director for nearly two decades with Sarath, Mouli, `Badi' Sambasiva Rao and recently with Krishnavamsy and Sobhan. "This rich experience of the director has come in handy while working on this project," says Rajendra Prasad.
"While working with him, I am being reminded of my earlier stint with Vamsy. There are no tragic or melodramatic incidents in this film. It is hundred per cent entertainer and the audience will get what they expect from my films." He has a word of praise for the first-time producer too for his uncompromising attitude on quality.
"We are completing the film's shoot with this song. I wanted to produce a total family entertainer and with the valuable suggestions given by our hero during the shoot and with the cooperation from other unit members, I could complete the film without getting the feeling of a first-timer in this field. We plan to release the movie in the first week of April," smiles producer Srinivasa Rao watching the actors perform the steps in perfect harmony.
M.L. Narasimham
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