Lucky Media's Bekkem Venugopal is looking forward to the release of three movies this year. After films like 'Paagal', he is confident about his upcoming movies such as Sree Vishnu's 'Alluri' and Sohel's 'Bootcut Balaraju'.
In this interview, he also talks about two other interesting projects on the cards.
My first film was released in 2006. It has been 16 years since I debuted as a producer. 'Tata Birla Madhyalo Laila' was my debut film. I have got to travel with a lot of creative and nice people since then. I thank my family members and friends for all this.
Last year, 'Paagal' gave me good results. 'Alluri' is my current project, besides a film titled 'Bootcut Balaraju'. I have also okayed a few other projects, which are in the pre-production phase. This year, you can expect at least 3 movies from my banner.
This birthday is exciting because 'Alluri' is being readied thick and fast. My success rate has been high, thanks to the support extended by my teams, distributors and exhibitors.
'Alluri' is a serious emotional action drama. It's also a family drama at one level. I worked with Sree Vishnu earlier on 'Prema Ishq Kaadhal'. The entire team is determined to offer superb entertainment, both story-wise and screenplay-wise. The visuals are encouraging. I recently screened a 5-minute showreel for the trade people. 'Alluri' is going to become a turning point in my career.
I am planning an edge-of-the-seat thriller with Aadi Saikumar. It won't have an interval. I am enjoying the scripting phase. It will go on the floors in June. A newcomer with a strong VFX background is going to direct it.
None of the films I have made so far has given me a bad experience. Sometimes the result may not be encouraging. I have no other thought occupying my mind other than cinema.
I was an associate producer of 'Nenu Local', for which I collaborated with Dil Raju garu. It was a big commercial hit. Over the years, I have been widening my horizons by trying to make bigger projects.
OTT is a part of cinema. It's a welcome trend. OTT has added a new source of income for producers. A large section of the audience are watching movies only on OTT. A film's reach increases that way. I am yet to make a web series. If I chance upon a good story, I will definitely debut on OTT.
A perfect producer is he who has a grasp of all stages of film production. He needs to know what it takes to get his product to the audience. It's not easy. You can score a hit only if you do every film as if it is your 'make or break' project.
Last year, 'Paagal' didn't do as well as we had expected. It's because of the pandemic. The film's release decision was taken overnight after I was tempted by the collections that two films minted that month.
I have been wanting to do a film with the media as the backdrop. It should bring out both the positives and negatives of the fourth estate. I started my career in Gemini TV. Therefore, I feel attached to the media. It will talk about the greatness of the media, its role in democracy, what journalists can do, etc. An amazing subject is being readied. Once it is finalized, I will discuss it with my media friends. I won't be directing it. For that matter, I will never wield the megaphone.
