Two days before the release of the much talked about multi-starrer Uu Kodathara Ulikki Padathara , the magnificent Gandharva Mahal set put up at Manikonda is a scene of activity.
The set, erected at a cost of nearly Rs. 6 crore by art director Bhupesh R. Bhupathi, is now a familiar landmark with the locals. Long after the days of shooting, the set still bears paintings and portraits of Balakrishna. Clearly, there is a lot riding on the big budget film.
Following the stir created by director Rajamouli’s team cracking down on the piracy of Eega, it was veteran actor and producer Mohan Babu’s turn to come out strongly on the issue. “Those who indulge in piracy need to realise that the lives of hundreds of people in this industry are in stake. When my daughter Lakshmi wanted to become a producer, I was reluctant. You put in a lot of money and effort to make a film. These days, a film’s success depends not only on whether the audience likes it or not. A lot of it has to do with tackling piracy. Filmmaking is not an easy business proposition,” he says.
Lakshmi, who has produced and acted in the film, adds that the team had coded the different prints of the film so that piracy can be tracked. “When a print that is coded is pirated, we will immediately come to know. Also, people can report any instance of piracy by calling our team on 9160999922,” she says.
Mohanbabu wants to take the fight against piracy a step further and announced that he is willing to reward anyone who reports instances of piracy.
'“If it’s an elderly person who is reporting, I am willing to make his son/daughter study engineering in my educational institution. If it’s a young person, the reward will be in the form of a job. In case it is an uneducated person, a cash reward of Rs. 50,000 will be given,” he says.
The film, which stars Balakrishna, Manchu Manoj, Lakshmi Manchu and Deeksha Seth among others, will also be released in Tamil as Varuvan Thalaivan. Manoj, who has also choreographed the stunt sequences for the film, has pinned his hopes on the film. Speaking to us post the press conference, he says, “We worked on the project for two years now. It’s a film that’s close to my heart. I’ve been trying to do something different with each film of mine.”
Uu Kodathara Ulikki Padathara releases Friday.
