What lurks in the jungle?
M. L. NARASIMHAM
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Vamsy returns to his favourite genre and promises an edge-of-the-seat thriller.
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JUNGLE TALES Debutante heroine Hamsanandhini and hero Aryan.
A bunch of youngsters guided by a tall, bulky middle-aged man entered the Vikarabad forest in a caravan on a sunny morning. The local tribe is attracted to the caravan, which seems to be a made-to-order one. The caravan slowed down at a turn and suddenly a voice shouted, `cut.' It stopped and the camera came to a halt. Director Vamsy emerged from behind the van with his characteristic smile. He was filming the scene for Entertainment Arts & Performing Theatres' (EAPT) untitled venture. The actors alight from the caravan for a small briefing during tea break.
Hero Aryan Rajesh, debutante heroine Hamsanandini, newcomers Devicharan, Chandrasekhar, Moolavirat, Subhash and Jayaprakash Reddy are present for the day's shoot. The film is presented by the US-based Thati Satheesh Kumar and produced by Thati Sujana.
Sipping simmering hot lemon tea, we listen to a song played on the tape... rela rela rela rekki rela. The lyric set to tune in traditional folk beat with a mélange of western instruments used judiciously by Ilayaraja instantly catches one's attention. The maestro is back with Vamsy after a long time. Of course, the ace filmmaker too is back to his favourite genre, suspense thrillers.
Well made suspense thrillers transcend time. Vamsy's 1985 suspense thriller Anveshana is a fine example. The film is still remembered for its spine chilling suspense and the unexpected climax with Ilayaraja's brilliant background score that set the mood.
Like those thinking directors, Vamsy is a man of few words on the sets. So it is left for his long time associate and co-director Maddirala Venkat to reel out a few details related to the day's shoot: A journalist from a private satellite channel pursuing an investigative report in the forest. He isn't sure how many days it will take to accomplish his task. So he takes a few associates, a doctor and a forest guide along. Having travelled extensively in the dense forest, they are tired. As a relief, the group breaks into a song enjoying the greenery and the chirping sounds of the birds. "Rajesh plays the journalist while Hamsanandini is cast as the doctor and Jayaprakash Reddy is the guide.
Devicharan plays the driver. This caravan is specially built with cooking and dining space and other facilities. There is even a storage space available to keep the hen," Venkat says with a smile. "We have shot the film in the thick jungles of Rampachodavaram, Marredumilli, Seeleru and Pamuleru," Venkat says, and adds as an after thought, "There are no villains in the movie."
Vamsy enacts the scene to his actors as cinematographer P.G. Vinda (Grahanam fame) checks the light through the light meter. The shoot commences as the actors get into the caravan. Aryan Rajesh hums the song with his co-actors sing in chorus. The caravan moves slowly. Due for a December release, the film stars Shafi, Jeeva, M.S. Narayana and Bharani.
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