Jagapathi as loverboy
M.L. NARASIMHAM
|
Jagapathi Babu blends family drama with action in his forthcoming `Pandu'.
|
FAMILY DRAMA Jagapathi and Sneha in `Pandu'.
The actors led by Jagapathi Babu are working at a frenetic pace to convert a dilapidated shed into a dance hall. The shed itself is part of a street set at Sarathi Studios created by art director K.V. Ramana for Sri Keerthi Creations' Pandu produced by M.L. Kumar Chowdary. The `street' has some petty shops and is part of a middle-class colony. After passing through the small shops in the street, one finds director Devi Prasad who is filming a crucial sequence. Cinematographer Shankar Kantheti is shooting the sequence in montage shots to facilitate the conversion (of the shed into a dance hall) appear in a jiffy on screen. During the silent era way back in the 1920's, montage became synonymous with editing throughout Europe; though Hollywood reserved the term for quick-cut, dissolve-laden special sequence.
"Our hero Pandu (played by Jagapathi Babu) hails from an ordinary family and lives in the colony with friends Krishna Bhagwan, M.S. Narayana, Venumadhav and others. They help him re-convert the shed into a dance school. And the dance academy is for the heroine (Sneha), who plays a classical and folk dancer. Madhu Sharma plays the second lead," explains the director. Both the actresses are present on the sets. "Jagapathi Babu has a large female fan following because of his convincing portrayals in family-oriented subjects. At the same time he won applause in totally mass characters in films like Gayam and Antahpuram. I wrote a theme that blends both these images at its best. In the story, family drama finds perfect blend with action, romance and humour. The action ( Ram-Lakshman) scenes tell the story too," says the director.
The shoot commences again. The shed is now replaced by a dance hall. The director has some discussion with his cameraman while the lead actors wait for the camera to roll for that last shot. Producer Kumar Chowdary enters the set. His latest release Andhrudu had fantastic openings and is running successfully all over. "From day one (of its commencement) I have been telling that Andhrudu will be a hit. I must thank the audience for proving me right," he says . He adds, "I am expecting Pandu to be a bigger hit than my earlier film, Pedda Babu with Jagapathi . We have a successful lead pair, paired together for the first time. Sneha has two recent box-office grossers to her credit. So is our hero. When Devi Prasad narrated the story to me I instantly felt here is one more off-beat narrative within the commercial realm," he stops for a while looking at his stars busy acting for that final shot.
"It is a simple story. Jagapathi takes everything light in life. Sneha is a classical dancer as well as a TV anchor. Watching her on television, the hero falls in love with her and often participates in her phone-in programs leading to a lively teasing drama. When she faces trouble from a politician (played by Shayaji Shinde), Jagapathi comes to her rescue and presents her with this dance school," the producer explains scenes that prelude to this scene.
"From then on the story takes a curious turn leading to a thrilling entertainer." "We have two duets to film. Probably in Europe or Bangkok," he informs . Kumar plans to release the film during the Navrathri celebrations.
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Entertainment
Bangalore
Chennai and Tamil Nadu
Delhi
Hyderabad
Thiruvananthapuram
