Ravi Teja-starrer Bhartha Mahasayulaku Wignyapthi, directed by Kishore Tirumala, was released on January 13 during the Sankranthi festival. Produced by Cherukuri Sudhakar, the film has managed to keep distributors in the profit zone. Expressing his happiness over the film’s performance, Sudhakar said that the distributors have recovered their investments.
“Andhra has already achieved breakeven status, and Nizam should reach that mark in a few days. The other areas will also be done in the coming days,” says the filmmaker.
The producer revealed that the film was released in fewer theatres and was sold at lower rates. “Because of that, I am happy that distributors have got their money back. The film performed particularly well in Vizag, East, and Guntur areas,” says Sudhakar, who also expresses confidence that the film would continue to do well in its second and third weeks. “We are starting another promotional tour in a couple of days.”
Talking about the release strategy, Sudhakar asserts he was keen on releasing the film during Sankranthi. “It is a clean entertainer, and we wanted to present Ravi Teja in a pure family-entertaining role. That’s why we felt Sankranthi is the right time,” says Sudhakar, also praised director Kishore Tirumala for completing the shoot in just 65 days. “There was more footage, but we trimmed it down and brought the final runtime to two hours and twenty minutes.”
The film boasts of a strong ensemble, featuring several combination scenes involving Sunil, Satya, and Vennela Kishore. “We shot the combination scenes first because coordinating everyone’s call sheets can become difficult. After that, we completed the remaining portions. We also spent nearly 20 days shooting the Spain episode,” Sudhakar explains. He also acknowledged that his earlier collaboration with Ravi Teja, Ramarao On Duty, did not work as expected.
Interestingly, Sudhakar points out that although five films released during the festival, all of them managed to break even. “Still, I feel that either my film or another film should have released a week later. When many films release together, one film’s revenue eats into another’s,” he says, adding that his film is likely to get more theatres in the coming days. “Chiranjeevi’s film is the biggest release, and most people have already watched it. Now, the audience’s second option is my film, so I am hopeful of better revenues this week.”
Sudhakar is currently producing multiple big projects. One stars Dulquer Salmaan and Pooja Hegde in the lead roles, while another is The Paradise, starring Nani. “I have a strong team handling the production. Right now, my main focus is on Bhartha Mahasayulaku Wignyapthi, as it has just been released. However, I do visit the sets of The Paradise and the Dulquer Salmaan film in between,” says Sudhakar.
Speaking about The Paradise, Sudhakar reveals that nearly 60 per cent of the shoot has been completed. “We erected sets for the film instead of shooting at live locations. It is a period drama set in the 1980s, just before NT Rama Rao became the Chief Minister of united Andhra Pradesh,” shares Sudhakar, and went on to add that rains damaged several sets, and winter conditions have also slowed down the shoot.
Addressing concerns about violence and the use of strong language in The Paradise, Sudhakar says, “When you watch the film on screen, you won’t feel it is violent or abusive. You will be completely immersed in the story, which is the real highlight.” On the film’s release date and reports of a clash with Ram Charan’s Peddi, he clarifies, “We don’t want to compete. Two films will not release at the same time. Summer has plenty of open dates. Once the shoot is completed, we will decide the release date.”
Opening up about his upcoming project with Chiranjeevi, Sudhakar says, “Once The Paradise is completed, we will start Chiranjeevi’s film. That too is a period drama, set in the 1970s and based on true incidents.”
Explaining why he did not release collection posters for Bhartha Mahasayulaku Wignyapthi, Sudhakar says, “The Producers’ Guild decided not to release collection posters, and I stuck to that decision. Some people still release them, but collection posters can only help boost a film. No one really takes them seriously. If a film is good, people will come to theatres. The common audience doesn’t need to know the collections.” In a lighter vein, Sudhakar points out that he jokingly asked his team to design a ₹200-crore poster on the second day.
Sudhakar also spoke about encouraging new directors through his banner. “We introduced Srikanth Odela, Pawan Basamsetti, and now Ravi is making his debut with the Dulquer Salmaan film. Who else would dare to invest Rs 70 crore in a debut director’s film? I believe in their talent. Even Srikanth Odela’s Dasara was a high-budget debut, and it worked because of the story,” says Sudhakar.
On how much creative input he gives as a producer, Sudhakar reveals, “First, I listen to the story. If I like it, I narrate it to four or five people and take their feedback. Based on that, I estimate the budget and proceed.” He adds that OTT platforms are now closely involved in the process. “We narrated Bhartha Mahasayulaku Wignyapthi to Zee four times. The Paradise was also narrated to Netflix multiple times,” he says, adding that while OTT has helped some films, it has also made things tougher. “Selling a film to OTT platforms is not as easy as it used to be,” he signs off.