Rs 12 Cr On 'Prema Kavali': Confidence Or Foolishness?

A big budget film means big stars, top heroines, big banners, heavy technicians but here is one film which seems to be raising a discussion in the film nagar area. Well, it is ‘Prema Kaavali’ and it has a debutante lead pair, an average music director but a budget of Rs 12 crores spent on it.

Well, the figure has been claimed by the makers and the cine folks wonder if it is confidence or foolishness. On the bright side, hats off to their confidence for arriving introducing a new hero with this sort of budget. It is heard that producer Atchi Reddy promised Sai Kumar that he will give a grand debut to Sai’s son Aadhi after watching few of his clips.

Now, he is going full flow with the release organizing a grand premiere, hiring around 300 spots in Hyderabad such as bus shelters, lollypops, hoardings and releasing it in 200 screens. But critics say recovery of such an investment would mean the film must have exceptional appeal and Aadhi must come up with strong performance to connect with the audience. Well, the fate of this will be known soon.

Keeravani- Rs 2 Cr Per Film

It is without doubt that the first name that comes to mind when it is about top music directors in Tollywood is M M Keeravani. He has also made his presence felt in the Bollywood circuit and today, he is ruling the roost in the Telugu circuit. So, here is something about his remuneration.


Sources say that earlier Keeravani used to charge anywhere between Rs 1.5 crores to Rs 2 crores for each film. This was because of the ‘black’ and ‘white’ thing. But now, with new measures being taken in Tollywood in terms of cost cutting and the rule that all transactions must be in white, he has reportedly hiked his meter to Rs 2 crores per film.


While Keeravani stands the costliest, the next layer goes to folks like Mani Sharma, Devisri Prasad, Chakri etc. That’s why it is heard that many are going to S S Thaman. Apparently, Thaman is said to be quite flexible with his remuneration and is coming up with some hot tunes in each album of his. That’s the Gaana-Bajaana of the music directors folks.

Selva to direct Allu Arjun

Allu Arjun in Rs 50 Cr budget film!
Selva Raghavan to make trilingual special effects movie!!
A pan South Indian movie with Allu Arjun in the lead!!!

Yes, this is going to happen very soon. Allu Arjun and Selva Raghavan have joined hands to make a fantasy flick with a staggering budget of Rs 50 Crores. A leading producer in Telugu film industry (who produced four films so far) is behind this mammoth project. Soon after Selva Raghavan finishes his new film with Kamal Haasan, this would go to the sets. Probably by the end of this year, pre-production for this movie begins.

On the other hand, Allu Arjun is currently finishing up another graphics rich film - Badrinath in the direction of V V Vinayak. 

KSDA Producer Hopping Mad At RGV

Till the other day, Kiran Kumar Koneru, the producer of “Katha, Screenplay, Darshakatvam Appalraju” was a great follower of maverick film director Ramgopal Varma. In fact, he treats Varma as friend, philosopher and guide. His earlier film Siddham was based on an idea given by Varma.

However, Kiran is now hopping mad at RGV, who directed the film KSD Appalraju. For, the film has bombed at the box office and it was RGV who had brought pressure on Kiran to shell down so much money with his stupid idea of making the film.

Before coming into films, Kiran had been into construction business. His father is a big builder in Visakhapatnam and Hyderabad and Kiran himself has taken up several highway projects in Madhya Pradesh before venturing into films by launching the banner “Shreya Films” in the name of his niece. His first film was Jagapathi Babu-starrer Homam and it was a hit. Then he had a legal dispute with UTV on the Telugu remake rights of Hindi film “A Wednesday.”

After Siddham flopped, Kiran was back in the construction business and made a big money there. This has apparently itched RGV to force Kiran to make the film KSD Appalraju. And the result: Kiran lost all the money he had made in the business. Now, Kiran is reportedly accusing RGV of being an iron leg in the Telugu film industry.

Yandamuri’s Extraaas On RGV's 'Naa Ishtam'

The senior writer/actor Yandamuri Veerendranath was sharing his thoughts in a TV program and the topic came to director Ramgopal Varma’s book ‘Naa Ishtam’.

He said “there is a joke which goes like this - one monkey keeps climbing and getting down a tree daily and public who see this are happy. Eventually, that monkey started charging a ticket of Rs 50 for its show. It also gave a cover to all who came and told them to go home and open it. The public came, watched the show, went home and opened the cover. There was a piece of paper which read ‘you left all your important work and came just to see my antics, how absurd is that?’. ‘Naa Ishtam’ is just like that. It is only publicity material by RGV without any content.”

After watching Yandamuri’s comments, many of 'Naa Ishtam' favorites said “being a senior and respected writer, Yandamuri criticizing another writer is nothing but showing ‘Extraas’. He may criticize RGV as a director but not as a co-writer. Always, he has done translations (refer - Vijayaniki Aidhu Metlu etc) from English and projected himself as a personality development expert, what should that be called as? He fears ‘Naa Ishtam’ will cross his book’s sales record that is why he is attempting to downplay it.”

Wonder what Yandamuri has to say to this….

Heroines' 'Hot-Hot' With Fitness Trainers

Earlier, fitness was a fetish for heroines but today it is mandatory if they are planning for a career in the cinema circuit. The trend picked up in Bollywood and it reached Tollywood. Now, the point is about the heroines and their fitness trainers. Sources say that there is a special ‘connection’ between the starlets and their mentors.

Apparently, the instructors know each and every part of the heroine’s body and focus on which part has to be worked on to get that extra oomph and sex appeal. Many quote that the chance of experiencing carnal pleasures goes high in this relationship.

Usually a similar talk comes on costume designers also but then, a costume designer spends only few moments. On the other hand, a fitness trainer has a very personal time with the ladies. Few cine folks say this is a fad among few Bollywood heroines. Folks like Manish Advilkar, Chaurasia, Rahul Bhatt are the most sought after trainers in the circuit. Well, few say there is nothing to question or worry when both sides are happy. That’s that folks!!

Allu Arjun's Wedding Card Vs Gold Biscuits

With each passing day, the wedding invite card of Allu Arjun is becoming an interesting topic of discussion among the cine folks and those selected invitees. The thing that took many by surprise when they received the card was the contents inside the invitation.

Apparently, there were few gold biscuits!!! On a closer look, it turned out that they are chocolates which have been wrapped up in the shape of gold biscuit with golden color foil. The first reaction was that of raised eyebrows and eventually it turned into hearty smiles for the invitees.

Many say that it is a good idea and something different and surprising. This is a variety approach in designing a wedding card invitation and they are waiting to see what other surprises the Allu family has got in store at the wedding, reception and other related events.

Mullapudi Venkata Ramana Passes Away

The legendary writer Mullapudi Venkata Ramana is more. He breathed his last today at the age of 79. Bapu and Ramana are known to be the most favorite duo for many readers as well as classic film lovers. While Ramana writes Bapu used to direct. While Ramana writes Bapu used to illustrate. Now Bapu needs to sail without Ramana for rest of his life.

Starting his career as writer with the film ‘Rakta Sambandham’ in 1962, Mullapudi Venkata Ramana wrote for many films like Moogamansulu, Sampoorna Ramayanam, Andaala Ramudu, Mutyaka Muggu, Bhakta Kannappa, Pelli Pusthakam, Mr Pellam, Sreenatha Kavi Sarvabhouma,  Rambantu, Radha Gopalam and presently working on Sree Rama Rajyam.

Mullapudi Vara, the director of films like ‘Na Alludu’ and ‘Visakha Express’ is the son of Shri Ramana.

Mohana's 'Thokkudu Billa' With Sushant

Just recently, it was announced that Sushant is arriving with a new movie after his almost forgotten ‘Current’. This time, he is teaming up with the noted director Indraganti Mohana Krishna. Now, it is heard that Indraganti has zeroed in on a title and the film will be called as ‘Thokkudu Billa’, reveal sources.

The film will be produced by the duo of Naga Susheela and Chintalapudi Srinivasa Rao. It is noticed that Indraganti seems to have a connection with games. His debut film was titled ‘Ashta Chamma’, then he came up with ‘Golconda High School’ based on cricket backdrop and now ‘Thokkudu Billa’.

It appears that without a game concept, Indraganti doesn’t do a film. For now, the title has got part of the Tamil blockbuster Billa but it is just a coincidence. Sources say that this new movie will be a comedy entertainer. Let us wait to hear the formal announcement on this one though.

A Talented Cricketer Who Became Telugu Hero

Cricket and cinema are two things that run in the veins of almost all the Indians. This is the story of one lad who started off as a cricketer and has now become a hero. He is none other than Aadhi, son of dialogue king Sai Kumar and he got to share his thoughts recently on his journey.

Aadhi said that he played for the Hyderabad Under 19 team and while Rayudu was his senior, the famous spinner Pragyan Ojha was his room mate. However, it was the influence of his grandfather P J Sarma (the noted dubbing artist and a senior actor) and father Sai Kumar which brought him to acting. Aadhi also revealed how his dad told that becoming an actor is a tough game.

So, he took rigorous training for four years by going to the gym and working on his physique, learnt dance from Lawrence, acting under Satyanand at Vizag and dialogues under Kakarla Master. Apparently, once he was through with his training, his dad showed the videos to producer Atchi Reddy and that’s how ‘Prema Kaavali’ took shape.

Raghu Kunche's New Melody Rocking Cell Phones

He may be one film old as a music director but then the talent of Raghu Kunche has always been on a high in the Tollywood circuit. His song ‘Enduke Ravanamma’ in his debut movie ‘Bumper Offer’ created a rage in Andhra Pradesh.

Now, this singer/music composer is arriving with his composition for the new movie ‘Aha Naa Pellanta’ and already it is setting a new trend among the music lovers. The film has a tender number which goes ‘Nuvve Kavali…’ which is a good mix of melody. The lyrics are penned by Sirasri.

It is noticed that this melody has become the caller tune for many mobile users. Though Raghu’s other song ‘Subramaniam’ is also making its mark, some are saying that the presentation is repetitive which reminds of ‘Enduke Ravanamma..’. For now, it is his melody song which is enthralling many.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlTyamHYMdg

'Something..Something' Between Charmee And Manoj??

They have not acted together in any films. Devisri Prasad has not composed music for any of their films. But the film ‘Political Rowdy’ which was produced by Mohan Babu had Charmee in it and Manchu Vishnu did a guest role in that.

In one of the press meets at that time, Mohan Babu stated that Vishnu is eyeing Charmee and added that once when he was checking Charmee’s new phone, he saw a strong love message coming from Vishnu. Now, we don’t know how this love transferred from Vishnu to Manoj but right now, both Manoj-Charmee have become best friends. It is known news that Charmee has been keeping Devisri Prasad at a distance since she realizes that an affair with him is more of a loss than benefit.

It is heard that Manoj who was seen as the chief guest for the audio release of Charmee’s ‘Mangala’ is in regular touch with the charming girl. It is also heard that he is giving advices, suggestions to Charmee in her career. The highlight is, Charmee has managed a role in ‘Dongala Mutha’ on the recommendation of Lakshmi Manchu, Manoj’s elder sister.

Madhura Sreedhar Worried About Heroines

It is known that Madhura Sreedhar of ‘Sneha Geetham’ fame has announced Star Hunt for his subsequent movie ‘It’s My Love Story’.

When we enquired about the status of his Star Hunt, Sreedhar said, “We got about 2238 applications on email and 821 in our office drop box. Out the profiles received on email, many are from USA, UK, Australia, NZ, Singapore, Malaysia, South Africa and Botswana.

The applications those were dropped in few drop boxes at the outlets of our official brand partners are also being collected. So far, there have been competitive and worthy profiles queued in for male lead but we are really worried about heroine profiles. Finding a good Telugu heroine is becoming difficult even in this advancing society and cosmopolitan outlook pervading every where”.

Saying that Sreedhar also added, “We consider applications till March 5th and actual screening process starts from then. The emails can be sent to starhunt@itsmylovestory.in or send sms LOVESTORY to 5676785”

Click here for Star Hunt Promotion Song (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RdSupc6fgI)

Click here for Star Hunt Radio Ad
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3wksJppPnU)

Reel Talk: 'I Love Acting Nude'

There was a time when nudity and skin show was completely taboo for the heroines of Indian cinema and it was a department of the item bombs and vamps. But today, the whole scene has changed and it is the heroines who end up more exposing than the regular item girls.

Meanwhile, here is one actress who has reportedly stated that she loves to act nude and is hoping that the censor board gets broadminded. Her name is Mugdha Godse and this model is a noted actress in Bollywood. Mugdha was seen in the controversial movie ‘Fashion’ and made her presence felt strongly.

Now, with her latest set of statements, Mugdha is not only grabbing attention of the media but also the many producers who give glamour a top priority. Already, Mugdha has given a feast to the audience through her bikini scenes and many are now waiting to see when she will be seen in her birthday suit. Are the Tollywood makers reading this???

Twitter pic gets Bips in trouble

Bipasha Basu posts pic of little girls tying her shoelaces on Twitter. The pic has met with overwhelming outrage.

There is outrage over a snapshot Bipasha Basu posted on her micro-blogging site on Monday. The actress displayed a picture of her feet with two young girls bending over to tie her shoelaces.

She wrote, "I need to learn to tie shoe laces ASAP! Embarassed that I can't! No patience.. grrrrr! Promise I am not spoilt! Will learn soon," and tagged it with the picture.

This was followed by a barrage of comments about child labour. Under fire, Bips hastily deleted the tweet but forgot to erase the picture as well. It was only later that the photo went missing from her micro-blogging site.

She later tweeted, "Well the people helping me in the pix are my friend and sister, who I help often with the same! So am sorry if it hurt anyone's sentiments!"

But since when did Bips have such a small girl as her sister. She has two sisters who are grown-up Bijoyeeta is married with a kid while the other Bidisha is studying abroad.

RGV's 'Distibomma' Vs Censor Board

Usually, a film by Ramgopal Varma tends to create chaos before its release. But this time, RGV’s latest film which has hit the screens has caused a commotion after it hit the screens. We are talking about ‘KSD Appalaraju’ and the protests came from the Nizamabad area.

Apparently, they burnt down a ‘Distibomma’ of Ramu for coming up with a scene which showed junior artistes donning the role Seetha smoking a cigarette while another artist doing lord Rama was playing cards. As expected, the media channels got the feed and they made the most of it. Sakshi channel made it a program freshly on this.

In the show, on a phone call, an analyst gave his thoughts on the scene-“the idea behind showing the characters like that was, Ramu wanted to show that those who appear as Rama or Seeta onscreen are not so off-screen. If the censor board has cleared it then they must have felt this scene is not harmful for the society. So, as an instinct I find the scene to be wrong but a little insight will give you the true intention behind it”.

But there is no one from Censor Board to answer on this.

Jr NTR's Wedding Card Competition

The new age heroes of Tollywood are relatively friendly with each other than the stars of the bygone era. However, at the end of the day, there comes a point of competitiveness. Right now, that seems to be the case between the Nandamuri camp and the mega camp.

Well, the time has come for Allu Arjun to tie the knot on March 6th while junior NTR is tying the knot on May 5th. So, the invites have begun from the mega camp and the invitation card of Allu Arjun has been creating quite a stir due to its grandeur and richness. Now comes the competition part.

It is heard that Narne Srinivas, would be father-in-law of NTR junior is working on the wedding card. Sources say he wants it better than that of Allu Arjun in terms of appeal and royalty. Though the card may lose value after the D-day, it sure will serve as a souvenir to those who get the invites.

Tensions Surrounding SS Rajamouli

S S Rajamouli has always made his mark in the Tollywood box office and so far, he has never tasted a flop in his career. Now, it appears that the tough taskmaster seems to be in a tight spot. Buzz is that Rajamouli is in tension regarding his next project with Prabhas.

Apparently, he managed to score success with ‘Maryada Ramanna’ after the mega blockbuster ‘Magadheera’. However, many are saying that given the league of Rajamouli, it should be a big budget venture which must be taken into account. With this, it is heard that Rajamouli is reportedly in a fix.

Sources say he is not sure what sort of genre he should choose for Prabhas’s film. On the other hand, the talk is that comparison of this film will be made with ‘Magadheera’ only and not the little projects that Rajamouli has done in between. Well, this is a true challenge for the tough taskmaster and let us wait to see if he proves himself or not.

'Prema Kavali'- A Huge Premiere @ Cinemax

A premiere event for a movie is not just about grandeur, it is also about the confidence of the makers on their film. And if it is marking a debut of the hero, then it indicates a well made film. So, the time has come for a grand premiere in Hyderabad and the film is ‘Prema Kavali’.

The premiere is happening on 24th night at the famous Cinemax and the entire who’s who will be present to watch the film. The debutante is Aadhi and he is the son of dialogue king Sai Kumar. Aadhi is pairing up with a new beauty Isha Chawla and already, the audio got a good response.

This is directed by the veteran K Vijayabhaskar and produced by K Atchi Reddy. The music for the film is composed by Anup Rubens. Special arrangements are made for the premiere given the long list of VIPs and celebrities. Get set for this one folks!!

Aghora Villain's Clash With 'Rana'!!!

The headline might sound a bit confusing but read this to have clarity. We are talking about Sonu Sood, the Bollywood actor who gave shivers with his role as Aghora in the blockbuster hit ‘Arundhati’. Now, he is all set to take on superstar Rajinikanth in his new movie.

Yes, Rajini’s new movie is ‘Rana’ and this is slated to be a period-action film which will be made as a trilingual. Sonu is currently on cloud nine as he is getting to share screen space with Rajini in this and Amitabh Bachchan in ‘Buddha’ under the direction of Puri Jagannadh. It is heard that Rajini was keen to have Sonu after watching the actor’s performances in ‘Dabangg’ and ‘Arundhati’.

'Rana' is directed by K S Ravikumar and is touted to be the most expensive film ever made in India. Already, Deepika Padukone has been roped in as the leading lady and the music will be by A R Rahman. The film will be produced jointly by Eros International and Ocher Studios (headed by Soundarya Rajinikanth). Get set for this one folks.

Lady Director Says No To Marriage?

It is a common thing to see heroines saying no to marriages unless they reach their thirties but have you heard of a lady director doing that. Well, there are not many lady directors in Tollywood but then here is one lady who seems to be not very keen on the institution of marriage.

She is none other than Nandini Reddy who shot to fame with her debut venture ‘Ala Modalaindi’. Sources say that this talented director has reportedly said no to marriage and is not interested in such social ties. As such, those who observed her say she is quite a tomboy given her body language and appearance.

On the other hand, a gossip is making rounds that her family members are already on the lookout and it is only a matter of time though she is saying no. Let us see what happens.

Sheila Ki Jawani-Tees Maar Khan Song Full [HD]

Prema Kaavali premiere show on Feb 24

Actor Sai Kumar (whose son Aadi is debuting) and producer Atchi Reddy are leaving no stone unturned to make Prema Kaavali a hit. They have already increased the publicity campaign all over the state. And now they are planning to host premiere show of the movie on a grand scale. Prema Kaavali's premiere show will be held on February 24 at Cinemax and all the biggies from Tollywood are invited.

Directed by K Vijaya Bhaskar, Prema Kaavali has music by Anup Ruebens.

Tribute: Mikkilineni passes away

Veteran artiste Mikkilneni Radhakrishnamurthy (94) passed away due to age-related ill health in the early hours of Tuesday, Feb. 22, in Vijayawada. Born at Lingayapalem of Guntur district in 1918, Mikkilneni acted in over 300 films starting with Deeksha (1949) until Bhairava Dweepam (1992). Mikkilineni Radhakrishnamurthy Mikkilineni was an active freedom fighter and was imprisoned five times during the Indian Independence Movement. He was the founding member of the popular  Praja Naatya Mandali and has always been active in stage plays. He wrote several books on stage dramas and arts, such as naTaratnaalu, Andhra naaTakaranga charitra, teluguvaari jaanapadakaLaarUpaalu, prajaapOraaTaala rangasthalam, Andhrula nRtyakaLaavikaasam, and  teluguvaari chalanachitrakaLa. He was also awarded the Kalaprapurna (and honorary doctorate) in 1982 from Andhra University. While Mikkilineni has acted in several social, folkloric, and historical movies also, he holds the record of having donned the most number of mythological roles in films and stage plays. He appeared in over 40 mythological characters including Duryodhana, Dusshasana, Karna, Dharmaraja, Dhritarashtra, Bheeshma, Balarama, Janaka, Indra, Brahma, and so on. His roles in historic films like Tenali Ramakrishna (1956), Palnati Yuddhamu (1966) also won accolades. TeluguCinema.Com wishes that the family of the great multifaceted artiste may recover from the bereavement soon and that his soul shall rest in peace.