Distributor Dheeraj Mogilineni awaits the release of Couple Friendly on February 14. In this interview, he talks about the highlights in the Santosh Shoban-Manasa Varanasi movie.
Based on the content of the trailer, some might believe that Couple Friendly is essentially about the lead pair's live-in relationship. However, only about 15 minutes of the film has anything to do with the concept. The story is essentially about how they feed into each other's dreams.
Set against the soul of Chennai, this isn't just a film for the youth. It contains family emotions, too. Through the lives of Shiva and Mitra, the audience is invited to witness a journey where love and lineage beautifully intersect. A guerrilla-style approach was adopted to film key scenes in Chennai to overcome permission-related issues.
Manasa's character repeatedly teases a secret she is keeping from Santosh's character, a narrative choice designed to keep the audience and the male lead in a state of constant, simmering suspense.
I don't say that you will find yourself crying while watching the movie. Suffice it to say that the emotions and drama are moving enough where it matters. This is a heart-touching love story wherein the scenes are woven into a natural progression.
Director Ashwin Chandrasekhar's script sense is natural. The film would have been a little more intense had some of us been involved intensely from the beginning. I didn't make any suggestions, for it is not appropriate for a distributor to do so.
We had to alter the title due to the CBFC's objections. They asked us to change the title to Friendly Couple. Since we weren't ready, they gave us 'A' rating. I propose a system where titles get pre-approved at the time of their registration. That way, last-minute hurdles will be avoided.
Santosh is subtle and measured in the movie. He is certain to pull off a box-office hit. He should evolve into a bigger name after the release. The entire ecosystem will stand to gain if young actors like him grow.
It is true that Uday Kiran's Manasantha Nuvve and Love Story are up for re-release this Valentine's Day. Barring a few star vehicles, re-releases haven't dented the prospects of new releases. As such, we don't see competition from them.
As a distributor, I plan to associate with only those films that feel genuine and different. I am not in a hurry. I have to take a personal liking to a project.
I am currently producing Chennai Love Story (starring Kiran Abbavaram and Sri Gouri Priya). A film led by Sangeeth Shoban is also in the making (it is directed by Kumari 21F fame Surya Prathap Palanati and co-stars Anaswara Rajan).
We are also excited to announce a children's film featuring a young cast, slated for a summer release. Furthermore, script discussions are currently underway with several top-tier actors; we expect to officially announce a major collaboration under our banner later this year.
