'Gangster Gangaraju', starring Laksh Chadalavada as the hero, is hitting the cinemas this Friday (June 24). Presented by Chadalavada Brothers and produced by Padmavathi Chadalavada, the film is directed by Ishan Surya. Vedika Datta, Vennela Kishore, Charan Deep, Srikanth Iyengar, Goparaju Ramana, Nihar Kapoor, Rajeshwari Nair, Sathya Krishna, Ravi Teja and others are part of the cast.
In this interview, lead man Laksh talks about the film.
'GG' is an out-and-out commercial film. You find more than just action in the movie. Chases and gun fights are not the only elements that you will find. The story has been set in a fictional town where the term 'gangster' assumes a layered meaning. There is love, emotion, action.. all elements are in balance and nothing is over-the-top.
Devaralanka is the fictional town in which the story is set. The town borders three States - AP, Telangana and Karnataka. It has been conceived in order to offer variety in terms of characterizations, ambiance.
I am 6'1'' tall and the villains in the movie are even taller than me. Our director has worked under Sreenu Vaitla and did movies like 'Dookudu' and 'Badshah'. In Rajamouli's movies, the villains are very powerful characters. We have followed this scripting lesson in writing the antagonists of 'GG'. You could say that the hero is like a Vaitla protagonist, while the villains are from Rajamouli's universe.
I have been around in the film industry for 14 years. I took a gap as an actor. I produced 'Bicchagadu', which became a big hit in Telugu. It was when film journalists asked me why I had stopped acting, that I mooted the idea of second innings seriously. When films like 'Kshanam' and 'Pelli Choopulu' became big hits, I felt that the audience were now accepting content-driven movies. The new trend gave me the courage to make an acting comeback. I felt I can shape my own career in a new way. We did 'Valayam'. Experience taught me that I should look agile and a lot slim. So, I decided to shed 25 kilos. I have always been mentally prepared for setbacks. But the Covid-19 pandemic came like a huge jolt. It forced me to take another break. I am finally making a comeback this week with 'Gangster Gangaraju'.
Music director Sai Kartheek has created hits such as 'Raja The Great', 'Pataas' and 'Supreme'. GG's strength lies in the BGM. It can keep the audience glued to the screen.
After the interval bang, the entire story takes off on a different tangent. The audience will walk out of the theatre with utmost satisfaction. It's not about different ingredients being great. It's about GG's emotional quotient. When the film releases in theatres tomorrow, the audience will find it whistle-worthy, especially the last 20 minutes.
My next film is already in the works. It, too, is a commercial entertainer. It's a stylish film set against the backdrop of a city. It's like a road trip movie between Vizag and Hyderabad. My look in terms of costumes and appearance is going to be special.
I want to be connected with a variety of genres as an artist. At the end of the day, I have to impress the audience. No matter how good an artist is, the movie has to click. Content is what matters. I am ready to do negative characters, comical ones, romantic ones - whatever it takes to impress the audience.
A lot of films are going to come up in the coming months due to Covid-induced backlogs. So, even though this Friday is going to witness multiple releases, we have no other choice. In any case, 'GG' is the only out and out commercial entertainer coming out this week. I hope it will find its audiences. I wish 'Sammathame', '7 Days 6 Nights', 'Chor Bazaar' and all other films releasing this week are liked by the audience.
We are releasing 'GG' in close to 250 theatres in Telugu. 'GG' is also my first Tamil theatrical release. The Tamil release is happening only because distributors showed interest after watching the trailer for our movie.
