Raju Weds Rambai was not an easy film to be canned. A village was chosen so that everything looked authentic. A few days after the shoot began, it got flooded and it took months for things to get back to normalcy. The team also faced opposition from villagers, who considered it a bad omen that they had to witness the wrath of Nature. In this interview, debutant director Saailu Kaampati talks about what sets the November 21st release apart. Vamsi Nandipati Entertainments and Bunny Vas Works are backing yet another content film after Little Hearts. Raju Weds Rambai, touted to be the "greatest love story".
The love story, ostensibly with a tragic ending, is based on a true incident that was shrouded in mystery for fifteen years. Clarifying that the story has nothing to do with the concept of honour killing, the director hints at a heart-wrenching narrative. The power dynamic in Indian villages seems to be at the core of the film.
I hail from Warangal. Entertainers like 16 Teens and Sampangi inspired me to become a filmmaker. As a movie buff, I have always been meticulous about the body of work of different technicians. An acquaintance from our village made it to the level of an AD. He worked on a Nagarjuna movie. Although I did a few Engineering-related jobs after my B.Tech, my primary interest was in movies. I worked on some stories in private. I eventually realized that I should explore rooted stories with a soul rather than typical commercial ones. I worked in the direction departments of Srikanth Addala and Venu Udugula anna.
When I first pitched Raju Weds Rambai storyline to Venu Udugula anna, he liked it a lot. He suggested that I do a demo shoot. Once he was onboard, ETV Win joined our project. Contrary to some presumptions, this is not an honour-killing story. The culture of dominant parties settling scores with the weaker side is rampant in the countryside. Initially, I lacked a proper understanding of film script structure, resulting in a script that contained excessive material unsuitable for screen adaptation.
Venu Udugula anna was instrumental in guiding me. He explained the necessary conventions and offered suggestions on what elements to include, providing crucial support throughout the process. Furthermore, during the shoot, he granted me the creative freedom to direct the film according to my vision.
The story is based on an incident that happened in a village. It apparently happened in 2004. I have the consent of the victim party in making this film. However, I have been requested not to reveal their identities. (The film's recently-released trailer has received appreciation from several industry persons)
Akhil has the naturalistic flair required for this role. I came across his profile through a friend. As for the female lead, finding her was not easy at all. Tejaswini is a natural talent. Chaitanya Jonnalagadda has played her father. Since he comes from an urbane background, his body language had to be molded for this villager's role. He plays someone suffering from a physical handicap.
