Kiran Abbavaram’s short cut to fame

After a successful stint in short films, Kiran Abbavaram’s debut in a feature film is reflection of hard work and patience

Kiran Abbavaram

Raja Varu Rani Garu is a title that’s pleasing to the ears, the film is releasing in August and what makes this film interesting is more than 15 newcomers will be testing their luck, which includes lead pair Kiran Abbavaram, Rahasya Gorak and director Ravi Kiran. A B.Tech graduate, Kiran hails from Rayachoti in Kadapa district and worked as a network consultant in Bengaluru for two and a half years. Even while working, he acted in two or three short films and that spiked his interest to work full time in movies. Thereafter he left his job and began doing independent films like Sreekaram , Vanara Sainyam , 1991 , Gacchibowli and Arjuna Phalguna . Incidentally, Sreekaram was such a huge hit that a popular producer is now making it as a fell-length feature film with Sharwanand as the lead.

Kiran has a theory on the success of Sreekaram , “It got plenty of views and around five crore people saw it. It was released on the Net even before Maharshi and Sreemanthudu hit the screen. Just as an artiste’s son becomes an artiste and a doctor’s son takes up medicine, the protagonist wonders why a farmer’s son doesn’t take up farming for a livelihood. The hero of the film, a software engineer leaves his job and goes to his village, does farming and inspires many to take up the plough. The production house, 14 Reels took it off from YouTube, bought rights from director Kishorudu and convinced him to direct the film all over again.”

He feels getting an opportunity is no longer an issue. Even if one has no background in films, if there is passion for the craft and one is talented and persistent in efforts, a chance is sure to come by, he feels. Kiran had around six films to work in, post the release of short films on the Net but he spent one year on

Raja Varu Rani Garu because he waited to form a good team. He says, “Though I didn’t find a producer I roped in a friend and did it because I had great faith in the script. I bumped into 24-year -old Ravi Kiran and our interests and ideologies, thoughts matched. I designed and handled the production, while he took up direction. Those who saw the film at the dubbing stage remarked that the film shaped well and we already have Tamil and Malayalam people asking for remake rights. The film has been shot in a village. For most of the technicians, this is their first film.”

The concept is based on the fear of rejection. The lead pair fall in love but don’t express their feelings... they think they can’t take pain if they are rejected. Kapileswarapuram in East Godavari is where the story is set and the hero is the son of an RMP and the girl, a daughter of a ration dealer. The boy too becomes an RMP and the girl leaves the village for further studies. Do they meet? Who makes the first move, does it end well or not, forms the second part of the story.

Kiran explains why the title is apt, “The hero insists he be called ‘Raja Varu’ because that is how people in East Godavari address each other with respect. That ‘maryada’ is evident even when elders talk to youngsters. The teaser tells the story of Ramayana in short introducing the characters as Raja and Rani.