Chandru Mohan, Anurag Reddy and Sharath Chandra, the producers of the Telugu comedy movie ‘Mem Famous’
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The Telugu movie, Mem Famous (we’re well-known), releasing in theatres on May 26, will introduce greater than 40 actors and technicians. The comedy set in rural Telangana follows the journey of a bunch of characters who’re thought-about good-for-nothing by the village and how they attempt to make a reputation for themselves. Debut actor Sumanth Prabhas has additionally written and directed this movie that’s being positioned as a enjoyable trip for summer season. The men behind this movie are the trio — Anurag Reddy and Sharath Chandra of Chai Bisket Films and Chandru Mohan of Lahari Films — who produced the sleeper hit Writer Padmabhushan starring Suhas earlier this 12 months.
Anurag, Sharath and Chandru are in between a number of artistic and advertising and marketing duties after they take outing for this interview at their workplace in Hyderabad. Anurag and Sharath additionally spearhead First Show, the promoting and advertising and marketing company that designs promotional campaigns for Telugu films — Major and Dasara amongst the latest outstanding examples, and oversee content material and manufacturing at Chai Bisket Films. They additionally co-produced the Sandeep Unnikrishnan biopic Major in partnership with Mahesh Babu and Sony Pictures, with a unique entity named A+S Films. “We need Chai Bisket Films to be a go-to place for debut actors, writers, administrators and technicians whereas A+S will deal with greater films,” says Sharath.
Sumanth Prabhas, debut actor, author and director of ‘Mem Famous’
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
Springboard for brand new expertise
Mem Famous is the second movie, following Writer Padmabhushan, as a part of a three-film deal between Chai Bisket Films and Lahiri Films. The third movie is in the works. Sharath is assured that Mem Famous shall be a roaring hit like Jathi Ratnalu or Pelli Choopulu.
It all started when Anurag’s spouse stumbled upon a video posted by Sumanth Prabhas, which had a dialogue about love and romance. When she shared it with Anurag, he was impressed. He reached out to Sumanth and was shocked when he learnt that he was a university pupil. “He was barely 18 or 19; his writing was sharp,” Anurag remembers.
Having launched a number of actors and administrators (Suhas, Divya Sripada, Srividya Palaparthi, Sandeep Raj and Vidya Sivalenka are just a few examples) by their quick films on Chai Bisket channel on YouTube, Anurag and Sharath sensed potential. “He is a fast learner,” says Sharath. Sumanth spent just a few months with the staff of My Village Show in rural Telangana, observing the every day lives of individuals and Mem Famous took form.
“I consider that folks ought to have skilled a tradition to have the ability to write with authenticity. For occasion, if somebody narrates a narrative set in the USA however has by no means been there, it by no means appears practical to me,” causes Sharath.
The solid of ‘Mem Famous’
The subsequent large leap
MBA graduates and pals since college days, Anurag and Sharath arrange First Show in 2012 and forayed into digital advertising and marketing for motion pictures and in 2015, they established Chai Bisket and offered Telugu and English content material on their web site whereas concurrently creating quick films for YouTube. Sharath says movie manufacturing was a pure development to offer a much bigger platform for the expertise that that they had been nurturing.
“We are comfortable that every one of us are rising collectively. None of our actors or administrators are certain by contracts. We consider in working along with goodwill and belief,” Sharath says. At the similar time, they’re conscious that nurturing younger expertise entails time. “A script will not be okay in its first draft. It would require some steerage and just a few rewrites. We are sport for the course of since there’s all the time recent power that the younger expertise brings in.”
As their organisation grew, they continued to be on the lookout for brand new expertise. “Our e mail inbox is crammed with at the very least 1,200 to 1,400 story pitches at a given time,” says Anurag. Sharath provides that their work tradition stays like that of a start-up. There are instances when Anurag listens to 2 scripts a day, for 2 to a few months at a stretch, and then shortlists the attention-grabbing ones. “I’m going by the emotional join of a narrative,” he says.
Sharath, Anurag and Chandru are conscious of the highs and lows of Writer Padmabhushan. “The final 20 minutes moved me to tears even throughout the narration and I used to be positive folks would hook up with it,” says Chandru. Private take a look at screenings and later with household audiences in several cities previous to the movie’s launch bolstered their perception. “We learnt to carry take a look at screenings, take suggestions and maintain finetuning the movie from (Adivi) Sesh ,” says Sharath.
Actor Suhas in ‘Writer Padmabhushan’
It was from Sesh that Anurag and Sharath additionally learnt the ropes of manufacturing. “He informed us that he needed to do a biopic of Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan and it’d take one other 5 to 10 years. We informed him he ought to do it instantly and he requested if we might assist with the manufacturing,” says Sharath.
Against the norm
After Major, they knew they had been swimming towards the tide throughout Writer Padmabhushan. Post-pandemic, most distributors and exhibitors believed that solely star-led, big-budget films can draw the viewers to the theatres. “What everybody says relies on their expertise. When one thing new occurs, it breaks the norm. When we confirmed the movie to all our households, there have been tears and smiles. It was a sign that the viewers will settle for the movie. Irrespective of the funds, I consider folks will come to the theatres to look at a very good movie,” says Sharath.
Anurag seconds that and says the viewers has been beneficiant. “They graciously ignored the small drawbacks and inspired our movie.”
The Telugu movie circles recognise Anurag and Sharath for his or her knack for recognizing vibrant expertise and as sharp entrepreneurs. In an trade the place one or two hits make folks really feel like kingmakers, Anurag and Sharath say they’re over-critical about their work and therefore, won’t ever get carried away. Sharath sums up a latest expertise when he attended Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, “The work that we’re doing is so small in comparison with the technical and artistic output I witnessed there. The day we’re in a position to do one thing that the world notices, I’ll say Mem Famous (we’re well-known).”
