“Respect for people, being dedicated and passionate towards the craft of film-making and keeping an eye on minute details are the qualities I have imbibed from my mentor, though both of us have our own styles of film-making,” says debut director B.V. Nandini Reddy, talking about her mentor Krishnavamsi.
She was at Sankarampally on the outskirts of Hyderabad, filming the climax portions for Sri Ranjith Movies' Ala Modalaindi featuring Nani, Nithya Menen and Ashish Vidyarthi. The suspense-filled scene needed an open area to shoot the emotional climax.
Meaningful projects
Producer K.L. Damodar Prasad is reviving the banner founded by his producer-father Kanuri Ranjith Kumar, who made mainstream as well as offbeat films between mid 70s and 80s. Damodar's intention is to continue with the production of meaningful entertainers and taking Telugu cinema to new heights. Ala Modalaindi is the beginning.
The articulate director Nandini is reluctant to talk much about her film before the completion of shooting. She informs that the unit has to shoot two songs during the August schedule in Phuket. “It is a romantic comedy with a good dose of emotions. I don't want comparisons but the film will be in the genre of the 1989 Hollywood flick When Harry met Sally and other such romantic comedies.”
Talking about her lead actors, she says that Nani plays a media professional from the city. He is sprightly, bubbly and vibrant youngster. Nithya Menen (she spells her surname that way) is also a city-based vivacious, fun-loving girl with attitude and with a mind of her own. She works as a volunteer with a social service organisation. “The heroine's character is strong and she is not like a socialite or a showcase heroine. She has substantial role and shares equal screen space with the hero,” adds Nandini.
They meet at a point in life and the journey takes curious turns taking the audience into a roller coaster ride of entertainment. Nandini Reddy is reluctant to disclose Ashish Vidyarthi's character in the movie: “It is very entertaining and different from his usual portrayals.” She adds that Ala Modalaindi is a different film from the regular potboilers. “The title is intent to create curiosity. To know ‘yela modalaindi' one has to wait till September when the film hits the marquee.”
Sneha Ullal and Kruthi Karbanda, Pragati, Rohini, Chaitanya, C.V.L. Narasimha Rao are in the cast. The film is photographed by Arjun Jena and edited by Marthand K. Venkatesh with Vivekananda Kuchibhotla as the executive producer.
