Allari Naresh's upcoming comedy entertainer Ramba Oorvasi Menaka is hitting the screens on September 4. Produced by Razesh Danda (Hasya Movies) and Nimmakayala Prasad (Annapurna Studios), the film is directed by Chandra Mohan Chintha, who made his directorial debut with Sharwanand's Radha in 2017. After that, Chandra Mohan worked on the web series ATM, jointly produced by director Harish Shankar and Dil Raju. “After that web series, I wanted to do a different project. I narrated a few stories to actors, but nothing worked out. Then I got this idea for Ramba Oorvasi Menaka,” says Chandra Mohan.
The concept of this film is not entirely new to Telugu cinema, as there have been several films based on similar characters and themes. NTR’s Yamagola and SS Rajamouli’s Yamadonga are examples of films that explored fantasy and mythological elements. “Yes, I agree, the characters are not new, but the problems are new in my film,” says the filmmaker, adding that the story revolves around the protagonist Suri and his dream. “Everyone wants to make their dreams come true. Suri has a heroic dream he wants to achieve with the help of magic. That's when he learns about a mystical book in his family, and he notices a pattern in it. Things come together, and suddenly, Ramba, Oorvasi and Menaka, the beautiful women from Indralokam, come down to Bhoolokam. What happens before they land here and the problems he faces is the film in a nutshell," explains Chandra Mohan.
Crediting Chandamama stories as an inspiration, the director says, “I read a lot of Chandamama stories, which are very interesting, and I like them. I wanted to narrate those kinds of stories on the screen in an updated way and show them to the present generation. I am confident that they will like those stories.”
Cinematographer Ram Reddy helped him take the story forward. “I narrated the story to Ram Reddy, and he liked it. He sent it to Nimmakayala Prasad garu, who also liked it and asked me to meet producer Razesh Danda. He took me to Allari Naresh garu. He liked the story and gave his green signal, and that’s how this project started,” says Chandra Mohan.
Chandra Mohan entered the film industry without any backing or contacts. “When I was a child, I watched Chiranjeevi garu’s Trinetrudu and later watched State Rowdy and Gharana Mogudu. After watching Trinetrudu, I decided that I wanted to be in the film industry. Inspired by Chiranjeevi garu, I landed in Hyderabad without knowing anyone in the city or in cinema. But I wanted to try on my own,” recalls Chandra Mohan, who joined Sri Surya Movies as an assistant director and worked on Nee Manasu Naaku Telusu. “After a few years, I worked with director Karunakaran on Ullasanga Utsahanga and Darling. That experience helped me build some contacts, which eventually helped me with my debut."
Interestingly, while working with Karunakaran, he also learnt Tamil. “Most of them used to speak in Tamil, so I had to learn the language to understand what they were saying. Then I went to Chennai and tried to make it work, but it didn’t happen. I came back to Hyderabad and, through a common friend, met Sharwanand and narrated the story of Radha, which he liked. That’s how my debut film happened,” says Chandra Mohan, who reveals his affinity towards comedy films. “Whenever I felt low, I used to watch clippings from Jandhyala’s films. Though I have watched them hundreds of times, they always feel fresh and give me something new. I like EVV’s films a lot.”
Talking about Ramba Oorvasi Menaka, Chandra Mohan says, “I have put in a lot of effort. For Naresh garu, comedy is not new, but he is doing a comedy film after a gap. I am sure everyone will enjoy this film because I have narrated it in an entertaining way. There are a few surprises in the film that I didn’t reveal in the trailer, as you have to watch them on the big screen.” Signing off by giving an insight into what's next, Chandra Mohan says, “I have some stories in my bank and I want to tell them. Once this film is released, I will announce my next project."