'Month Of Madhu' is a coming-of-age relationship drama slated to hit the cinemas on October 6. Producer Yaswanth Mulukutla says that the movie, headlined by Naveen Chandra, Swathi Reddy and Shreya Navile, is the result of years of hard work.
Also starring Manjula Ghattamaneni, Harsha Chemudu, Gnaneswari Kandregula, Raja Chembolu, and Raja Ravindra, the film's music is by Achu Rajamani. It will be released on more than 150 screens in AP and Telangana.
Writer-director Srikanth Nagothi has been my friend. 'Bhanumathi & Ramakrishna' (Aha Video release), which was made on a budget of just Rs 20 lakh, fetched me thrice that investment. It's because of that success that I have done 'Month Of Madhu'.
Naveen Chandra is a close friend of mine. A lot of us who have worked on this movie are a bunch of friends who vibe extremely well. Viva Harsha, the cinematographer and a few other technicians have got along so well over the last few years. 'MOM' was planned during an informal meeting between me and Naveen. It's he who first came on board, followed by Swathi.
'MOM' is a different story that goes beyond portraying a love story or the tension between a married couple. Ravikanth Perepu's ('Kshanam' director) editing has taken the impact to the next level.
The gap between my first and second films is because neither I nor my director have this constant urge to keep working. We hold on to our thought processes and sensibilities. Script-wise, we are always thoughtful. Even the casting process is on-point. A lot of detailing went into finalizing even the supporting cast. The locations were finalized by me personally. I made it a point to visit those particular locations. I enjoy the process, the journey.
We want 'MOM' to reach a wide audience. That's why we are going for a theatrical release. We shot the movie in sync sound. This is not meant for OTT viewing. The sync engineers and other technicians who have worked on this movie are the best. The sound mixing has been done by someone who works on big-ticket movies. We have ensured the best on the technical front. Sync sound doesn't suit all films. You need to have native language speakers and unique locations (like a beach) for the technique to bloom fully.
Shreya Navile has played an American-born desi. The way her character speaks Telugu is accented. We wanted to cast someone who is really from that social background to ensure authenticity. She lives in the US and is in India only for the promotions.
'MOM' will be released on about 150 screens in the Telugu States. It's my own release. The overseas release has also been planned. We are leaving no stone unturned on the publicity front. After the trailer was out recently, the buzz has been on the surge. The response for the trailer has boosted our energy. I prefer to personally oversee everything, including communicating with my actors, both during the making and after that.
I can't reveal the budget of my movie at this point. As for my upcoming movie, I have something in mind. I will make it public later. Some OTT platforms are offering us the opportunity to make collaborative originals under Srikanth's supervision.
