Jagapathi Babu plays the emotional angry young man Durga Prasad one more time in the sequel to the 1993 blockbuster Gayam produced and directed by Ram Gopal Varma. The sequel version titled, Gayam-2 produced by Dharma Kartha C and directed by Varma's disciple Praveen Sri has just completed a major schedule in Bangkok. Most of the cast from the original version, besides Jagapathi Babu are retained including Revathy who played the protagonist's wife Anitha, The antagonist Guru Narayan so effortlessly enacted by Kota Srinivasa Rao and the lawyer Saab (Thanikella Bharani) are major characters among them.
As one enters the office of Kartha Creations the makers of the sequel in Prasasen Nagar in Jubilee Hills, one is greeted by the line producer Bharath Chowdhary. The duplex house is agog with preparations for the next schedule that commences in the first week of May in Hyderabad. The director's chamber is in the first floor and Praveen Sri is busy discussing details with cinematographer Anil Bhandari (whose work in Banam was appreciated), art director Dharmendra and dialogue writer Gandham Nagaraju.
“It is a perfect sequel, perhaps the first in Telugu cinema,” says Bharath Chowdhary as he leads you to his chamber in the ground floor. “What happened after 17 years in the life of Durga Prasad is the central point. He leaves his past behind and settles in Bangkok to live a peaceful life. But the villains led by Kota Srinivasa Rao trace him and the action begins,” he smiles. “We have the total support and blessings of Ram Gopal Varma. He presents the film,” he adds. The original version was written by Thanikella Bharani, Posani Krishna Murali, Ram Gopal Varma and Mani Rathnam.
“The content is gripping add to that the usage of the latest technology, for the first time in the South we have used S 4 fisheye lens,” he says . A truly fun optic that can be used creatively and as a magic tool that gets the whole view in one shot. In the 20 day schedule in Bangkok, two action episodes and two songs (written by Vanamaali) and a few scenes were canned. Ilayaraja besides composing the five songs also rendered one that was shot in montages, a flash back song. Revathy appears in the flash back scenes.”
Vimala Raman replaces Urmila Matondkar who played Chitra in the original version. “She has a substantial role to play in the action drama,” Bharath Chowdhary continues. “We have a couple of additional characters – Kota Prasad son of Kota Srinivasa Rao plays his screen son too. Jeeva, Harshavardhan and Master Pawan Sriram have been added to the cast. Besides the songs in studio sets, in the next schedule key scenes will be filmed in real bungalows. The last half hour happens in old city and such locations. You get a natural feel when you watch the film on the big screen. Wait for a thrilling climax,” he smiles and signs off.
