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Caught in a crime web

M.L. NARASIMHAM

This movie by the debutant director is an amalgam of action, sentiment and romance.

SCREEN PAIR A scene from 'Naidu L.L.B'

Narrative style and technique might have changed. But for most filmmakers the cinematic expression remains the same when it comes to the expression of love by either the hero or the heroine - a dream song in a local park or in a foreign location. And the audience laps it up if the song is melodious , the ambience beautiful and the actors glamorous. The landscaped park in Durgam Cheruvu, a suburb of the twin cities formed an ideal location to film one such song for Aswandas Prakash Cine Arts' maiden venture, Naidu L.L.B. Spotted at the location are hero Akash and Gayathri Jayaram, a key player in the romantic action drama. They rehearse the steps choreographed by Siva Shankar as S.A. Rajkumar's mellifluous tune is played from a tape. A circular trolley mounted with the camera has been kept ready by cinematographer Rajarajan's assistants to film the song. Debut director Nambi is watching a part of the song filmed a little while ago along with the cinematographer on the television screen. Satisfied with the images, he calls for the next stanza to be shot. As a camera assistant monitors the light focusing the lens on the lead pair, the choreographer talks to them as he watches their dance steps. Rajarajan once an assistant to ace cinematographer Balu Mahendra, sits on the tripod and looks into the camera as the actors sway to the song. A star-gazer comes in the way and the director shouts at him, "please clear off the field." The song is again played and the shoot commences. As the choreographer takes over, the director finds time for a brief chat. An erstwhile associate director with Vikraman, Nambi says it is a pleasure to start his career with a Telugu film, where talent is respected from any quarter. "The song we are filming now on the hero and the second heroine Gayathri Jayaram is a dream song. Akash plays a lawyer so does the heroine Ashima Bhalla. I leave it to you to imagine who dreams about this romantic moment in the movie," smiles Nambi.

Akash strikes a pose.

Is it a romantic story or a sentimental family saga, a thriller or an amalgam of all - an action packed romantic sentimental family entertainer, we ask. "I have to use this oft repeated phrase, `our film is different.' True. It is a different concept altogether. I cannot narrate the entire story at this juncture but I can give you a glimpse of it," he stops for a while as lemon tea is served. "Have it, it tastes good... like our movie," he smiles and continues. "Akash and Ashima leave for Goa to argue a case in the local court there. By the time they return to Hyderabad, a case of homicide is filed against the hero. From then on the story turns into a kind of a gripping thriller on how the hero gets out of the situation and helps book the culprits. For him it is more of brainwork than brawn. We tried to create the narrative as close to reality as possible, sometimes we have to take cinematic liberty to stress a point or to make it more palpable for the audience," smiles Nambi.

Gayathri Jayaram is a trained dancer and Akash is good with his steps too. So it is a cakewalk for them to complete the stanza in no time. As they relax sitting before the monitor screen watching their dance steps, producer S. Mariadas joins us. Connected with service organizations in Chennai, he had made a couple of Tamil films. He expresses confidence on wooing the Telugu viewers too with his first production, as the central point in the theme is new and well narrated by the director. "Though it is his first film Nambi has done a good job," he says, satisfied. Slated for an August release the movie also stars Sukanya, Kovai Sarala, Abhinayasri, Ali, Manoj K. Jain and Ajay Rathnam.

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