Hyderabad: Another beautiful rural love story is all set to entertain Telugu audiences. Titled ‘Single Raju’, the film stars Vishwas, Mounika, and Divya in lead roles and is being directed by young filmmaker S.S. Varma. With its unique title already creating curiosity among movie lovers, the title poster and glimpse of the film were grandly launched at Prasad Labs, Hyderabad, in collaboration with ‘Maaa Events’.
Director and producer Venu Udugula attended the event as the chief guest. He officially unveiled the title poster and released the glimpse of ‘Single Raju’.
Speaking on the occasion, Venu Udugula said, “I like both S.S. Varma and Vishwas very much. The moment I heard the story, I found it very interesting. They started this project with great determination and are making it wonderfully. The entire team is working very hard, and I wholeheartedly wish the film becomes a big success.”
Director S.S. Varma said, “This film would not have been possible without the support of Venu Udugula anna. More than me, my parents worked hard for this movie. I strongly believe ‘Single Raju’ will stand out as a complete entertainer that will surely impress the audience.”
Hero Vishwas said, “Director S.S. Varma and all of us are making this film with great passion. During the village schedule, everyone there supported us wholeheartedly. We request audiences to encourage and support our movie.”
Heroines Mounika and Divya said, “We are confident that everyone will like our film. The story, set against a village backdrop, has all the entertaining elements. Thanks to our director and the entire team for their support.”
The ‘broken heart’ emoji seen in the title logo hints that the movie is being made as a youthful love entertainer. With its rural backdrop and interesting concept, the film has already generated curiosity among audiences. The makers are expected to officially announce more details about the cast and other updates soon.
Under the banners of Mantra Movie Makers and Falcon Entertainments, the upcoming entertainer ” Bengaluru Mahanagaram Lo Baalaka” is being jointly produced and directed by the duo MahiI and Rajasekhar.
The film has successfully completed its first shooting schedule, and the makers recently unveiled the first-look poster through actor Priyadarshi which Received Good appreciation
Set against the backdrop of Bengaluru, the film is said to be an entertaining drama that portrays the struggles and experiences of a young Telugu man navigating life in the bustling metropolitan city. The first schedule of the film was extensively shot in and around Warangal and Hanumakonda.
Heading for its next Final schedule Soon
The film marks the lead debut of Nikhil Thomas, brother of actress Nivetha Thomas. Also Stars – Raghu Karumanchi in prominent Role along with Chitram Srinu. Actors and Influencers Dhanraj Vineeth, Mahendra and Achyuth are also part of this movie
Cinematography is handled by Mallu Nayak, while Vishwadeep is composing the music. Harshith Kota serves as the editor for the project.
Action King Arjun Sarja, Preeti Mukundan and Abhirami starrer much-awaited action entertainer ‘Blast Zone’ is all set for a grand theatrical release on May 28. The film is being prestigiously distributed across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana by Sithara Entertainments. Directed by Subhash K Raj and produced by AGS Entertainment, the film has music composed by ‘KGF’ fame Ravi Basrur.
Ahead of the release, the film’s team held a grand press meet on Monday at Park Hyatt Hyderabad.
Speaking at the event, Arjun Sarja said, “Blast Zone is a very special film for me. The film carries a powerful message about standing against injustice in society and empowering women with courage and confidence. The movie blends women empowerment with strong commercial elements. Preeti Mukundan and Abhirami have performed outstanding action sequences after undergoing martial arts training. Ravi Basrur’s background score is exceptional, and every technical department has delivered brilliant work. This film will not feel like a dubbed movie; every character will connect emotionally with the audience. I am confident everyone will thoroughly enjoy Blast Zone in theatres on May 28.”
Actress Abhirami said, “I am extremely happy to be part of such a powerful mass entertainer. I have never performed such an intense role or action sequences before. I worked very hard for this film and even underwent special training. The trailer has received a fantastic response, and the film is packed with stunning visuals, music, and action. Blast Zone is definitely a theatrical experience.”
Actress Preeti Mukundan said, “We are overwhelmed by the tremendous response to the Telugu trailer. I strongly believe Blast Zone will become a huge success in Telugu as well. I thank Sithara Entertainments for releasing our film on a grand scale.”
Director Subhash K Raj said, “Audiences will witness vintage Arjun sir in this film. The movie will be a treat for his fans. Preeti Mukundan and Abhirami delivered exceptional performances. After seeing the response to the trailer, I understood the expectations are very high, and I assure audiences that the film will exceed those expectations.”
Associate Creative Producer Aishwarya Kalpathi thanked Sithara Entertainments for releasing the film grandly in Telugu and expressed confidence that audiences would wholeheartedly support the movie in theatres.
“With everyone’s coordination, we completed the shoot of ‘Memu Cop’lam’ in just 17 days” – Cinematographer Kishore Boyidapu *
A cinematographer is the creative force who beautifully translates a director’s vision onto the screen. Not only that, but they are also the magician who multiplies the value of a producer’s budget through visual storytelling. If the producer is the father of a film and the director is the mother, then the cinematographer is undoubtedly the elder son who stands by the film from beginning to end.
One such talented cinematographer making his mark in this crucial department is Kishore Boyidapu. Starting his journey from the grassroots level in the camera department, he proved his talent not only in Telugu cinema but also by working in Bollywood and Hollywood films. Recently, he earned appreciation for the series “‘Memu Cop’lam’”, directed by Pradeep Maddali with Naga Babu in the lead role. The series is currently streaming on Zee5.
Kishore Boyidapu, who played a key role in completing the series shoot in just 17 days, shared several insights about his cinematic journey, the challenges he faced, and experiences from the series.
Background
My full name is Durga Kishore Kumar. Since my entire family was associated with the film industry, I naturally developed an interest in it. My father used to take our photographs and narrate stories through those photos. That’s where my interest in this field began. From childhood itself, I was fascinated by cameras.
Cinema Journey..
I started my career in 2002 as a camera assistant in Ravi Prasad’s unit. After about four years, I moved to Mumbai. My first project there was working in the camera department for Slumdog Millionaire. Later, I also worked on English films and gained experience working on nearly 15 Hollywood films, including Mission: Impossible 4.
In 2012, I worked as the Director of Photography (DOP) for a film titled Boy Meets Girl. During that phase, my journey with Anil Mehta began in 2015. That journey started with Ae Dil Hai Mushkil and continued until Jersey. In between, I also got the opportunity to work on nearly ten more films.
Working with sir as one of the main assistants gave me immense happiness and valuable experience in my career. Everything I learned from him has been extremely useful in my cinematography journey. Every lesson from that phase remains very valuable to me. Thanks to Anil Mehta sir.
After COVID, when I received opportunities for films like My Name Is Shruthi and 105 Minutes, I spoke with him. At that time, he encouraged me by saying, “Go ahead and start your own work independently.” That’s how I restarted my journey as a cinematographer with a fresh beginning.
A Challenging Experience
Making a film in a single shot is extremely challenging. In 105, starring Hansika, we made the film with a single character and in a single-shot format. The audience need not know the effort behind it — what matters is whether they liked the film or not. But nobody really understands the difficulty involved in making a single-shot film. If even one mistake happens anywhere, the entire process has to begin again from scratch.
From Film to Digital
Earlier, films were shot on film stock, but now everything has shifted to digital. Today, we can take as many takes as we want. In the past, filmmakers had to constantly monitor film length while shooting. Those limitations no longer exist.
Now, everyone does extensive research about lenses. We choose lenses according to the story and budget. Researching every lens and selecting the right one itself is a huge task. I mostly use Cooke lenses. For the upcoming film Premaku Namaskaram starring Shanmukh, I used the Cooke 7 lens.
People I Follow
Every cinematographer has their own style. I follow Ravi Varman sir, Anil Mehta sir, and Sudeep Chatterjee sir a lot. There’s no fixed rule saying something must be done only one way. It depends on the scene and situation of that day. Sometimes, even when there’s room for improvement, pressure forces us to move on. What matters most is delivering the best possible output within the available time.
The Difference Between Hollywood and Indian Cinema
Hollywood films generally use more natural, soft, and cinematic color tones. They prefer realistic lighting and controlled coloring. Indian films, on the other hand, feature vibrant colors, rich skin tones, and emotional lighting.
This is because our culture, festivals, costumes, atmosphere, and emotions are deeply connected to our storytelling style. That’s why colors hold immense importance in Indian cinema.
Hollywood films use advanced color workflows like ACES, RAW, and HDR. Indian cinema, especially OTT projects, is now moving in the same direction. Simply put, Hollywood presents colors realistically, while Indian cinema presents colors emotionally and culturally rich.
The color tones used in Hollywood are different because their stories, culture, and environment are different from ours. If we completely adopt those depressed tones here, the audience may not connect with them. We use the same lenses they use, but the difference is that they spend much more time on DI (Digital Intermediate). Here, we usually don’t have that much time. By the time we do four or five layers of grading, time runs out. If the sky isn’t bright enough there, they enhance it using VFX.
Shoot Completed in Just 17 Days
We completed the entire shoot of ‘Memu Cop’lam’ in just 17 days. That was possible because of strong pre-production planning and the hard work of every department. From planning to execution, everyone gave their best and supported the project smoothly.
Special thanks to director Pradeep garu for always leading with clarity and support throughout the journey. Heartfelt thanks to producer BVS Ravi garu and the entire production team for believing in us and supporting the project.
Special thanks as well to Naga Babu garu, Srinu garu, Ravi garu, and the entire cast and crew. With everyone’s teamwork and coordination, we successfully completed the shoot on time. Even during location recce, Pradeep and I discussed how each scene should be shot and how quickly it could be completed. We spent a lot of time discussing everything in the office itself. We had complete clarity during pre-production, and because of that coordination, we finished the series even ahead of schedule.
Thoughts on Direction
Transitioning from cinematographer to director is not an easy task. Direction is a highly responsible job and involves immense pressure. I too have some ideas, but I’m not planning to move into that side anytime soon. Right now, I’m trying to learn AI technology.
Current Projects
Premaku Namaskaram is ready for release. It stars Shanmukh, Shivaji garu, and Bhumika garu. Another film titled Mana Doctor Babu, featuring Rajeev Kanakala in the lead role, is currently completing post-production work. Apart from these, two or three more projects are in the discussion stage.
Versatile actor Vijay Antony, known for choosing strong content-driven films, is currently awaiting the release of Vanda Devullu. He now teams up with director Mu. Maran for another intriguing project, Appa Kutty. The film, produced by Meera Vijay Antony, and co-produced by Ramanjaneyulu Javvaji of Sarvanth Ram Creations, is an action-packed family drama centred on the emotional bond between a father and daughter. The Telugu version is titled Nanna Kutty, and the makers unveiled the first look today.
The poster showcases a bruised and bloodied Vijay Antony in an intense close-up, his face marked with cuts and swelling. His grim, determined expression carries emotional weight, while a young girl rests on his shoulder, subtly highlighting the core father–daughter relationship.
Designed as a gripping blend of action, family emotion, intense drama, and striking visuals, Nanna Kutty is positioned to appeal to both family audiences and action lovers. The shoot has been completed, and post-production is progressing at a brisk pace. The team is targeting a grand theatrical release in August.
Vijay Antony is set to deliver a performance that combines emotional depth with high-octane action. The film also features Preethi Asrani, Lithanya, Bhagavathi Perumal, Haripriya Isai, Aruvi Madhan, Chitra Lakshmanan, Sreeja Ravi, Vettai Muthukumar, Jensan Diwakar, Muruganantham, Munnar Ramesh, and several others in key roles.
Rajeev Raajendran handles cinematography, while Vijay Antony scores the music, and also serves as the editor. A Raja takes charge of production design.
With its mix of solid emotions, impactful action, soulful music, and engaging storytelling, Nanna Kutty is going to be one of the season’s notable family entertainers. The team is confident that the film will deliver an emotional, gripping, and memorable theatrical experience.
Leaders of the Film Employees Federation met Srinivasa Rao to congratulate him on being appointed as a Board Director in the AP Film Development Corporation. During the meeting, federation representatives informed him that they did not have a permanent office building. They also requested him to take initiatives to unite cinema workers from both Telugu states under one platform and create better employment opportunities for them.
Earlier, Srinivasa Rao had helped save Chitrapuri Colony from a bank auction by extending loans worth crores of rupees, thereby protecting the dream homes of hundreds of cinema workers’ families. Now, he has announced another major initiative by assuring the construction of a dedicated building for the Film Federation. Federation members expressed happiness over his promise and praised his generosity and service-minded nature.
Responding positively, Srinivasa Rao advised the federation to acquire land from the government and promised that he would personally build a state-of-the-art building with all facilities, unmatched by any other film federation in the country. He further instructed them not to seek donations from anyone for the project. He also stated that the building would be constructed in the name of legendary actor N. T. Rama Rao.
On this occasion, Srinivasa Rao suggested several measures for the welfare and revival of the film industry:
All films should follow a percentage-sharing system.
Heroes should allocate at least 50–60 days of dates to every producer.
Hero remuneration should be partly paid during production and the remaining amount after the film’s release through mutual understanding between producers and actors.
Traditional financial systems that support financiers should be revived, as the survival of financiers is crucial for the survival of cinema.
Directors and producers should jointly discuss ways to reduce production costs.
Production costs should be controlled to help sustain senior and standard producers.
The Federation should cooperate fully with producers and avoid creating difficulties for them.
If producers prosper, more films will be made, ensuring steady employment for film workers and happiness for their families.
Unnecessary expenses during shoots should be minimized, including reducing excessive caravan usage, to lessen the burden on producers.
He stated that implementing these measures could help revive the struggling film industry.
Federation President Vallabhaneni Anil said that all Telugu film workers would remain indebted to Srinivasa Rao for his continued support and contributions to cinema workers.
Federation General Secretary Rajendra Prasad remarked that the Telugu film industry is fortunate to have a kind-hearted person like Srinivasa Rao.
The event was attended by several prominent personalities, including Producers Council Secretary Prasanna Kumar, director K. Ajay Kumar, Directors Association President V. N. Aditya, director Ram Prasad, and many union representatives from various departments of the film industry.
TFCC Chairman and producer Dr. Prathani Ramakrishna Goud extended his heartfelt congratulations to the newly appointed Chairman and Directors of the Andhra Pradesh Film, Television and Theatre Development Corporation (APFTTDC). He congratulated Chairman P. Bharat Bhushan, Vice Chairman Chikkala Meher Ramesh Kumar, and Directors Chadalavada Srinivasa Rao, Suman Talwar, Sai Madhav Burra, S. Shivaji, Mrs. Y. Jhansi, Vivek Kuchibhotla, V. Samudra, Meer S, Kandimalla Sambasiva Rao, A. Satyanarayana, S. V. Krishna Reddy, G. Raj Venkateswara Yadav, and D. Satyanarayana. Dr. Prathani Ramakrishna Goud expressed his hope that the Telugu film industry would witness greater growth and development under the leadership of P. Bharat Bhushan, who possesses vast experience in the film industry. Speaking at a media conference organized on this occasion, Dr. Prathani Ramakrishna Goud said: “I am very happy that Mr. P. Bharat Bhushan has been appointed as the Chairman of the Andhra Pradesh Film, Television and Theatre Development Corporation. He is highly deserving of this position in every way. Bharat Bhushan garu previously served as the President of the Telugu Film Chamber and has had a long-standing career in film distribution. I strongly believe that the film industry will achieve greater heights under his leadership. I also hope that the prestigious Nandi Awards will be revived during his tenure and conducted in a grand manner. I am also delighted that Suman garu, who has acted in more than 700 films, has been appointed as a Director. I share a long association with him as both a producer and an actor. Suman garu is one of the most controversy-free actors in the industry. He has delivered many superhit films such as Neti Bharatam, Sitara, Tarangini, and Bava Bavamaridi. Whenever people think of Lord Venkateswara Swamy, Suman garu instantly comes to mind. I wish him continued success and many more memorable films. I am equally happy that producer Chadalavada Srinivasa Rao garu, who has always stood by film workers, has been appointed as a Director. He played a key role in saving Chitrapuri Colony from bank auction and rendered several services to film workers during the Covid period. He has also had a long and successful journey as a producer. Sai Madhav Burra, who has been appointed as an FDC Director, is renowned for his powerful dialogues and is also a good friend of mine. I also extend my heartfelt congratulations to FDC Vice Chairman Chikkala Meher Ramesh Kumar and Directors S. Shivaji, Mrs. Y. Jhansi, Vivek Kuchibhotla, V. Samudra, Meer S, Kandimalla Sambasiva Rao, A. Satyanarayana, S. V. Krishna Reddy, G. Raj Venkateswara Yadav, and D. Satyanarayana. All of them are highly deserving individuals with clean reputations. I sincerely hope they all contribute significantly to the development of the Telugu film industry. Telangana Film Chamber of Commerce will extend full support to them.”
