1. High time to actually take my career off the ground. Can only talk big for so long, met a producer and we are talking so we will see what happens.
2. Started a new job and no time to be honest and takes a lot of time out of the day
3. The real reason is basically loss of interest in Telugu cinema. I remember having a conversation with Pranav before we did our 150th episode for Malliswari and he told me he’s losing interest. I thought he was joking and I was like I could never, but turns out he was 100% right and I have lost interest as well. TFI’s banisas and fans will do their best to continue watching but the overall interest has waned. Reason being nobody is making movies anymore, it’s all brain rot to satisfy their fans and lack of commercial directors as well evolving of what people call commercial cinema has changed but main thing is there is no writing, and there is no passion
4. I realized that having the nostalgia about telugu cinema is actually dangerous because it’s affecting my mental health and making me wonder why nobody can make good movies anymore but the truth is Telugu cinema is finished and that time is over
5. We made two episodes last year and we explained why things suck right now and It’s basically the same or has gotten worse.
6. Nowadays cant even have expectations anymore so in reality its just the current state of telugu movies. When you dont like anything, what’s the point of watching
7. Its become a toxic relationship so why would you want to stay in one? It’s not giving anything in return and only making you feel bad. Such is the current state of telugu cinema
8. I neither have interest to rewatch old Telugu movies or even talk about new ones. There are many other podcasts that review current telugu movies that I advise you to listen to them instead.
9. Perhaps I will meet you all on the small screen or big screen someday. But for the time being and likely, this podcast is over. Thanks for listening and all the memories and time. I really appreciate it.

Credits

Banner: Vyjayanthi Movies

Cast: Megastar Chiranjeevi, Soundarya, Anjala Zhaveri, Prakash Raj, MAster Teja Sajja, Authi Prasad, Bramanandham, MS Narayana, Brahmaji, Venu Madhav, Bandla Ganesh, Dhulipala Sitarama Sastry

Music: Mani Sharma

Cinematography: Chota K Naidu

Editing: Kotagiri Venkateswara Rao

Art Direction: Thota Tharani

Fights: Vijayan

Lyrics: Veturi & Chandrabose

Choreography: Saroj Khan, Raghava Lawrence, Raju Sundaram

Costume Design: Manish Malhotra

Producer: C. Aswini Dutt

Release date: August 27th, 1998

• First title of the movie was Kaalika, alternative title Kolkata, Kolkata Kalika since its Kolkata backdrop, hence he started the movie with Kali Matha title card and credits
• Chiranjeevi was the one who put the title Choodalani Undi

• Coming to Railway Station scene, Gunashekar wrote about a 20 page booklet like a novel to write the scene. More action, literally no dialogues. He said it was going to be like this and he learned to write scenes from DV Natasha Raju. He told Chiru garu and he laughed and said this is a scene for Pawan Kalyan like in Tholi Prema, why are you doing it with me, because its on you its like this, for him it would be different, but lastly he enjoyed it a lot
• Then he told Chota K Naidu and he Las got very excited bhale undi. Coming to filming of it, Aswnini Dutt suggested Ramoji Film City train station. But Gunahsekar wanted live location Nampally Railway Station with live crowd and ambiance, Aswini Dutt got shocked, taking CHiru to Nampally scene.
• Ramoji Film. City is fine, but it has to be realistic. Dutt felt it would be very difficult. They got permission but hoe would be control the crowd and then how are we going to film it become a huge challenge. 2-3 days they had a lot of discussions about it
• Chota K Naidu and his team perfectly planned all the lighting and camera movements etc, got all the shots ready.
• Filmed 3 days at NAmpally and then 1 day at Kachiguda was the plan.
• Aswini Dutt acted as a latti master as well to control the crowd
• Finally they completed Namapally scenes in 2 days with planning and then 1 day at Kachiguda
• Choodalanu Undi is the first Telugu movie to be filmed in Kolkata, Kolkata apartment was done in Annapurna 7 acres
• • Yamaha Nagari - Raju Sundaram, Rama Chilakamma and Oh Maria done by legendary Saroj Khan
  • Regarding the inclusion of Hariharan, Udit Narayan, Shankar MAhadevan, it was collective decision between Gunashekar and Mani Sharma. He specifically told Mani Sharma that the sounds should be new, from Iliayaraja to AR Rahman and brought a new trend of introducing new singers, composing and engineering, told him the sound should be ultimate sound should be new for audience
  • Until then only dubbing songs heard Udit Narayan, Hariharan, and Shankar Mahadevan, nobody sang straight songs in Telugu
  • Automatically first choice is Balu garu for any song, but to take it to the next level we have to use new singers for the other songs, obviously for Rama Chilakamma Chiru and Aswnini Dutt opposed Udit Narayan for it, even balu wanted to sing it, but they objected, he got angry, and then they sang it with Udit Narayan sang it and the rest is history
  • Dialogues were written by Divakar Babu, he gave him a script book, he loved writing for Chiru and Soundarya scenes, Chiru did improvisation for all their poetic conversations
  • • Choodalani Undi collected 12.2 crores share and just missed industry hit status, ran for 100 days in 63 centers, all time record and first Telugu movie to run in more than 60 centers for 100 days, ran for 175 days and was the first South Indian film to be covered on India Today Delhi cover page, industry record and highest grossing South Indian fllm at that point in time
    • In JyothiChitra magazine, Chota Prasad journalist asked for the 20 pages and he put the first page with his handwriting and then JoythiChitra printed the rest
    • During the 100 days function in Vijayawada, Chiru bought the entire team gold chains

Credits

Banner: NTR Arts

Cast: Kalyan Ram, Sindhu Tonali, Prakash Raj, Asish Vidyardhi, Brahmanandam, Venu Madhav, Chandra Mohan, Surya, Ajay, Ramireddy, Chalapati Rao, Ahuti Prasad, GV Sudhakar, Raghu Babu, Dharmavarapu Subramanyam, Devi Charan, Rajya Lakshmi, Pinky Sudeepa

Music: Mani Sharma

Dialogues: Marudhuri Raja

Lyrics: Chandrabose, Sai Sri Harsha, Chinni Charan & Bandaru Danayya

Cinematographer: C Ram Prasad

Art: P Narayana Reddy

Stunts: Stun Siva

Story - Screenplay - Direction: Surender Reddy

Producer: Janakiram Nandamuri

Theatrical release date: 7th May 2005

Interesting Facts

• After working as an assistant director for 9 years, Surender Reddy readied a story to make his debut as a director and through director Sagar met NTR.
• The person who have appointment was Sagar’s apprentice VV Vinayak
• NTR heard the story but he was fully busy but if possible let’s work together for next movie (kudirithe next movie cheddam)
• Take this story to my brother Kalyan ram and so he met Kalyan Ram. As said before his first two movies flopped. With 3rd film have to get success at any cost.
• Surender Reddy narrated the story for 15 minutes and Kalyan liked the story elements and said let’s do this film, please work on the script. Then he came back and told hi the full story and said I dont like it, then he took another 6 months to work on the script and then the final version came and he okayed the movie,
• They already told it to Harikrishna garu, he said bagundi manchi break vasthadi, go ahead
• When thinking of procure, if we do it another producers banner, this story shouldn’t have any limits, we should do what we like and start our own banner, sat with Harikrishna, Jananki Ram and NTR and finally they felt putting it on NTR name would be good and thus they started NTR arts banner.
• Cast and crew ready and on November 15th, 2004 movie was launched at Annapurna Studios.
• They wanted Prakash Raj for a small role but he didnt have dates then NTR gave reference and he did the movie
• Annapurna Studios, Aluminum Factory, Shankarpalli Highway, Ramanaidu Cine Village, and Ramoji Film city shooting Motham ayypoyindi
• March 25th, 2005 hit the gummadikaya. Budget was 8 crores. Then April 9th 2005 audio was launched
• May 7th, 2006 with 72 prints movie was released. First scene audience were shocked, hero intro scene, heroine villains plan chesthe hero chamapadam, interval scene.
• Reverse screenplay technique worked wonders and a lot of similar followed this same screenplay technique.
• Kalyam Ram became a star, Surender Reddy became a star director, first hit on NTR banner Arts
• After 3 weeks, increased to 100 prints
• Ran for 50 days in 80 centers, 100 days in 46 centers and collected more than 20 crores gross
• Bhadra, Narasimhudu and Andarivaadu released within 3 week gap of Athanokkade otherwise it would have collected more.
• Remade in Tamil as Aathi with Thalapathy Vijay and Trisha
• Ashsih Vidyarthi won Best Villain Filmfare award and Surender reddy won Best Debut Director Nandi Award