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Interview With Cheri Yamadonga Producer

kodiNANDAMURI

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http://www.cinegoer.com/cheri.htm

 

[face=Arial]Cheri, the young and enterprising producer of Yamadonga, gives an exclusive interview to Cinegoer.Com. The excerpts.

 

You've produced Okkadunnadu before this. How was the experience of working with Chandrasekhar Yeleti and Gopichand.

 

It was a terrific beginning for me. I was satisfied with the kind of movie it turned out to be. It was appreciated everywhere and got good reviews.

 

Was Okkadunnadu an average movie or a hit?

 

It was definitely a hit. In fact, it was Gopichand's biggest grosser till then, now Lakshyam has beaten that record. We considered Yeleti's market, his target audience, Gopichand's market before drawing up the budget. Of course, it didn't run for 100 days as we would have liked it to, but it was never disappointing. I'm happy with the response we got for Okkadunnadu. And yes, I made my money.

 

Yamadonga now. How is the response to the music and promos?

 

Extremely encouraging. After seeing the promos and listening to the music of Yamadonga, the expectations for the movie have risen heavily.

 

The expectations were already high. Rajamouli-NTR gave Simhadri before. Any anxiety on that account?

 

True, Simhadri was one of the biggest Telugu hits at the time. And before the subject was finalized, I was worried. It had to be better than Simhadri. Once Rajamouli came up with the subject for Yamadonga, I was relaxed, because it is definitely bigger and better.

 

What's special in Yamadonga as far as the direction goes?

 

So many. As far as Rajamouli's track record goes, he has delivered all hits. He has explored several subjects. A college subject with Student No. 1, a violent Simhadri, technically polished Sye-he has done everything. But with Yamadonga, you will see a different Rajamouli. In all of Rajamouli's movies, the villain is a terrible and powerful character, to show that by thwarting him, the hero is that much more powerful. But this time, there is no such larger than life villainous character. There is a villain, but quite unlike Rajamouli's previous negative guys.

 

MohanbabuMohanbabu for Yama. Who envisioned him for the role? How was it working with him?

 

It was Rajamouli's idea. Dr. Mohanbabu came as a pleasant surprise for all of us. No tantrums, no unprofessional behavior, nothing. We thought he might be difficult, given his frank nature and his image. But he is a total professional. He is very clear on what he wants, and delivers accordingly. We learnt a lot from him, and I'm so glad we worked with him. He has given a fabulous performance. Only he could have done this role. I'm not saying other actors are not good, but he is just fantastic. Wait and Watch.

 

Seven Heroines! Isn't this female domination?

 

There is no question of female domination. The script required two heroines-one a homely type and the other, a sultry contrast. Priyamani and Mamta Mohandas play the two female leads. We needed a known face to play Yama's wife, as we cannot cast a new artiste opposite Dr. Mohanbabu, so Khusboo was zeroed in for that role. Archana, Navneet Kaur and Preeti give guest appearances for Rambha, Urvashi and Menaka. Actress Rambha appears in an item number. The movie totally revolves around the male lead-NTR.

 

Priyamani has already acted in a couple of movies. But Mamta Mohandas is making her debut with this movie. Tell us about her.

 

I wanted to cast her for Okkadunnadu, but couldn't due to date hassles. Then for Yamadonga, she fit the role perfectly. She is quite talented.

[/face]

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[face=Arial]Weren't there any catfights or ego issues with so many women and big stars like NTR and Mohan Babu involved?

 

The whole team cooperated really well. If there were such problems, we would be still shooting. Everyone gelled really well and I'm happy about that. That's why we could finish the movie is 7 months flat, which, for such a big movie is a record of sorts. The entire unit's contribution can be seen in this.

 

Keeravani seems to be a favorite, both with you and Rajamouli. Rajamouli-Keeravani is a time-tested combination.

 

MM Keeravani is undoubtedly the best music director out there. And I'm not just talking about Telugu, even Hindi audiences are enthralled by his music. He is my all time favorite music composer. He has done his job by giving great music, and Rajamouli has surpassed himself while directing Yamadonga.

 

NTRTell us about NTR's new look.

 

NTR is one of the best dancers in Telugu. So Rajamouli told him that for this movie, he needed a slim and trim look. As per the demands of the script, NTR worked hard to give himself a new image. He is much more flexible now, and his dance is even better now. I'm just glad he is looking so good.

 

Why did you choose to remake Yamagola?

 

It's not a remake! The only common thing is the storyline-the guy goes to hell and comes back. Even his experiences in hell are different. A few scenes here and there, and the concept of Hell and Yama are similar. But apart from that, nothing is the same.

 

So there cannot be any comparisons? Not even between NTR senior and junior?

 

No ways-NTR is a legend and my favorite star ever. NTR junior has proven his caliber, but has a long way to go. They cannot be compared, and like I said, there are very few similarities between Yamagola and Yamadonga.

 

Tell us about the graphics in the movie.

 

More than an hour of graphics are in store for the audiences. We tried to show everything in a realistic way, and did not want anything to be artificial. So there was a lot of work the team put in and the result is satisfactory. The movie relies heavily on graphics.

 

Will the audiences be able to identify with this unique subject?

 

It is a socio-fantasy, and the audience will be treated to something totally different. They will be able to identify with it, because of Rajamouli's commercial treatment to a subject like this. It is not a mere mythological movie. It is a fantasy and a total deviation to usual storylines that are dished out these days. Rajamouli's versatility as a director is going to be displayed in this movie. People of all ages will have something of interest in Yamadonga. A repeat audience is guaranteed. Where else can we see Indralokam and Yamalokam? Trust me, this is not regular fare.[/face]

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