'Kaliyugam Pattanamlo' blends suspense thriller genre with mother sentiment: Director Ramakhanth Reddy

Vishva Karthikeya plays the lead role and Aayushi Patel will be seen as his love interest in the upcoming film 'Kaliyugam Pattanamlo'. The movie, produced by Nani Movie Works and Raamaa Creations, is carrying good buzz with a superb response for every promotional stuff. Coming with a unique concept, Ramakhanth Reddy is taking care of many responsibilities as its story, dialogue, and screenplay writer, besides wielding the megaphone. Dr. Kandula Chandra Obul Reddy, G. Maheswara Reddy, and Kattam Ramesh are jointly producing the movie. Chitra Shukla will be seen in a crucial role in this movie releasing on March 29th.

In his latest interview, director Ramakhanth Reddy interacted with the media to talk about his product:

What do you have to say about the title justification?

The title doesn't denote the name of any town or city. It denotes the Yuga in which we are living. How are individuals like in this Kaliyugam? The world has been likened to a city inhabited by an assorted set of individuals.

The title logo suggests that the protagonist might be interested in setting the things right. Is that that the intention behind the logo design?

Not at all. The repair tools that you see in the title logo have a direct link with the story of the film.

The story has been set in Nandyala. What is the reason for choosing the town?

The town has geographical proximity with the Nallamalla forest region. The jungle and herbs with medicinal properties have a link in the story. That's why the Nandyala backdrop.

While the trailer made it clear that the film is going to be suspenseful, what other elements can we expect from it?

Besides suspense and thrills, you can expect a strong dose of the mother sentiment in the film. Love, action and a message are inherent.

We see the male protagonist in a mental hospital. What is his character like?

The story takes off from the point of him being in the mental hospital. His journey is best watched on the big screen. Fathers in the real world have a certain sociophobia. They expect their sons to be compatible with social validation. In the process, they neglect the feelings of their children.

Is the film based on true incidents?

In the past, when I used to work, a pregnant lady would read a psychology book while coming home from Bangalore by bus. When I said one shouldn't read such things during pregnancy, she told me she knows better. I didn't argue anymore. She continued to read that book while traveling. That's when the idea of this story came to my mind. Also, recently we see how children are growing up outside their homes.

This is your first film. How did you get into films? What is your background?

When I was doing my graduation, Kodi Ramakrishna garu made 'Arundhati' near Kurnool. At that time, I worked as an assistant on the shooting location. From there, my interest in filmmaking increased. After that, while studying in Vizag, I moved into films. I would travel to Hyderabad often and tried a shot at films. I also worked on some films. During the coronavirus pandemic, I decided to enter the film industry in a full-fledged manner. I started my journey with Kodi Ramakrishna garu and worked with many other directors. I worked as a ghost writer for some films.

Why Vishva Karthikeyan was chosen as the hero? What change do you notice in his performance compared to previous films?

I approached some heroes who had done one or two films earlier. But they were not willing to do the intense character. I came across Vishva's profile. After listening to the story, he said that he will do it with conviction. That was brave of him. I liked his confidence. He looked soft in his previous movies. This movie is completely different in terms of his characterization. This movie will remain a milestone in Vishva's career. He will be identified with this film in the future.

Tell us about the heroines in this movie

Aayushi Patel is the heroine. She is new and a Telugu-speaking actress. Her role is crucial not in terms of glamour but otherwise. Another heroine Chitra Shukla will be seen in the role of a cop.

How did you manage to bring three producers on board?

None of the producers have a film background. One of the producers, Mahesh, is my cousin. Obul Reddy garu and Ramesh garu joined after liking the story. The former owns educational institutes. He listened to the story and gave a nod immediately.

Was it a conscious choice to give a message to college students?

There is a message that the college students are going to find appealing. Do's and Dont's have been mentioned for youth. Producer Obul Reddy gave us the required support and asked us to shoot in his college and also in Kadapa. The film was shot there so that even college students will feel like watching it. It will be useful for people who have interest to enter this field. We shot for 39 days in Kadapa in two schedules and another schedule for 10 days in Hyderabad. The title and trailer launch was also done in Kadapa as the producer wanted them to be there.

This film has already been shown to some industry persons. What did they say after watching the film?

Everyone gave positive compliments. They told me I have shown daring in doing this movie. DVS Rao garu, Vasu garu and others congratulated me.

Tell us about the songs in the movie.

There are four songs in this movie. One revolves around the mother's character. Another one is a romantic song. The third one is an item song, while the fourth one is the title song. The title song and item song were written by Chandra Bose. The other two songs were written by Bhaskaratabhatla.

Background music is important for thriller movies. Tell me about the music director of this movie and how has the music been worked out?

Ajay Arasada gave the music. He gave very good music even though he is relatively new.. He worked as a keyboard player on 'Goodachari'. I like his work. He gave music for 'Save the Tigers' web series and three other films.

How does it feel to have your first film released by Annapurna Studios?

I am very happy that such a big banner is releasing our film. When we approached them, they liked the story. They are releasing this film in order to support a meaningful small film like ours. I would like to thank Annapurna Studios for that.

You have chosen a serious subject for your very first film. What was the motivation?

Whatever may the genre of your movie (mass, thriller, action, romantic or any other thing), your film has to please the audience. I went ahead with the conviction that the audience will love my story.

Tell us about the visuals and the cinematographer's work?

Charan Madhavaneni worked as the cinematographer. He gave us a lot of support and worked very well, ensuring excellent visuals.

How about your upcoming movies?

A sequel to 'Kaliyugam Pattanamlo' will be made as 'Kaliyugam Nagaramlo'.