Combining a teen love story with a social issue is a challenging task for any filmmaker. “When you have a good script and clarity of thought, it is not so difficult,” avers first time filmmaker Vasireddy Vidyasagar. In his soon-to-be-released film Idi Mamoolu Prema Katha Kadu, he is adopting a new technique of celluloid storytelling with both the lead actors narrating their part while it is being filmed by an aspiring director. “The narrative style is different from the routine,” Vidyasagar smiles as he throws an insight into his maiden venture.
The story travels from the time the lead actors (Mahadev and Sri Kavya) are ten year olds and traces their journey through school, college and finally professional days. As a teen, the girl dreams of a prince coming to ask for her hand and at times she thinks that her childhood friend is that prince. As she grows up, she develops an interest in environmental issues and leads the student movement against the shifting of a bird sanctuary in their area to make way for a water tank. She asks for the support of her friend, the hero, who is neither interested in the issue nor in her at that point of time.
Against all odds, she emerges victorious in her fight to retain the bird sanctuary which has migratory birds from far off places like Siberia. The boy now begins to show interest in her and the story travels smoothly towards a pleasant climax. “It is a simple story and once in a blue moon comes such a simple film that touches the purest of hearts,” smiles Vidyasagar. “Though it is a youthful love story, I wouldn’t call it a film for the young only. It has a universal appeal,” he adds.
Vasireddy Vidyasagar as chairman had made promotional film for his educational institute, Vasireddy Venkatadri Institute of Technology (VVIT), Nambur near Guntur. Incidentally VVIT is also the presenter of this film.
“When I narrated the story to one of my friends film director Kurra Rangarao advised me to direct the film myself. The story needed fresh faces and Mahadev is a student at the Penn State University, U.S.A for his bachelors. Debut heroine Sri Kavya hails from Tenali. The students who appear in the film are students from our institution. Jayaprakash Reddy plays the heroine’s grandfather and actor Suresh is cast as her father while Vinod and Jayalakshmi appear as the hero’s parents. ‘Vennela’ Kishore plays the movie director. Others in the cast are Naidu Gopi, Jyothi, Subhashini, Gundu Hanumantha Rao and Ramesh. The seven songs tuned by Quddus are situational. The locations include our college, Guntur and surrounding areas and Uppalapadu bird sanctuary. We have so many eye-catching locations in these parts to explore,” signs off Vasireddy Vidyasagar.
IDI MAMOOLU PREMA KATHA KADU
Cast : Mahadev, Sri Kavya
Story, Screenplay, Producer and Director : Vasireddy Vidyasagar
Music : Quddus
Banner : Social Movie Magic
