Gurram Papi Reddy director: We waited three months for Yogi Babu

Several small films are hitting the screens in the coming weeks, and Gurram Papi Reddy is one of them. Directed by Murali Manohar, the film stars Naresh Agastya and Faria Abdullah in the lead roles, with the legendary comedian Brahmanandam playing a key part. "The movie begins and ends with Brahmanandam garu. When we narrated the story to him, he immediately agreed, and with his vast experience, he improvised and delivered the role brilliantly," said Murali Manohar. He also praised Brahmanandam for his involvement in the dubbing process, saying, "While dubbing for his role, he complimented the overall quality of the film."

The director also highlighted the technical aspects of the film. "For Gurram Papi Reddy, we used a mocobot camera setup, which allows for only three to four scenes a day due to the complexity of the equipment. We used this camera on Brahmanandam garu for a few scenes," he explained.

Popular Tamil comedian Yogi Babu also features in the film. "We waited nearly three months for him to adjust his dates because he was busy with other commitments. We could have hired another Telugu comedian, but we wanted a fresh face for the role. So, we approached Yogi Babu, narrated the story, and he agreed. However, he was tied up with projects like Jailer 2 and the Bunny (Allu Arjun) films, so he couldn't accommodate us immediately. We decided to wait for him," the director shared.

Although Yogi Babu is a well-known figure in Tamil cinema, when asked if the film would be dubbed in Tamil, Murali responded, "I'm not a fan of the Pan-India trend. If a Telugu film does well, there will naturally be demand in other languages. We've had some inquiries from the Tamil industry, but we’ll focus on the Telugu audience first and think about other languages later."

The original title of the film was Parama Pada Sopanam, but the director felt it wouldn't resonate with the current generation. "It was a Sanskrit word, and we thought it might not connect well with the audience, so we decided to go with the character name Gurram Papi Reddy" he said. He also shared that other names, like ‘Tesla’ for a character, were considered but dropped. "We realized those names wouldn't make the right impact with the audience."

The story centers around the character Gurram Papi Reddy, which connects with viewers, especially those familiar with faction films starring actors like Balakrishna and Chiranjeevi, where Reddy characters are prominent. "When we released the first promo with that title, people really connected with it," Murali noted.

Naresh Agastya plays the titular role, while Faria Abdullah pairs with him. "We’ve seen Faria's fantastic performances in Jaathi Ratnalu and Mathu Vadalara. When we approached her with the story, she immediately agreed," the director explained.

Interestingly, Faria Abdullah showcased her versatility in this film by singing a song. "She’s not just an actress; she’s multi-talented. She not only sang the song but also wrote the lyrics and choreographed it herself," said Murali.

Discussing the film's humor, Murali said, "It’s completely organic. The story explores the clash between the clever and the foolish—how life changes when smart people do stupid things, and foolish people end up doing smart things. We’ve showcased this contrast with humor. The film is full of natural, stupidity-driven comedy, highlighting how everyone has a bit of craziness in them."

Murali Manohar’s directorial debut was Simba, produced by Sampath Nandi, featuring Anasuya, Jagapathi Babu, and others. "Before Simba released, I was already working on Gurram Papi Reddy, which was actually supposed to be my debut film," he shared.

Born and raised in Hyderabad, Murali was drawn to filmmaking after watching movies like Shiva and Naayakudu. After completing his MBA, he moved to London, where he worked with Warner Brothers at the London School of Filmmaking. "I worked on the technical side there for nearly eight years before returning to India in 2010 to work with director Sampath Nandi," he explained.

"I don’t enjoy making regular commercial films," Murali added. "Even Simba was different from the usual formulaic films. Gurram Papi Reddy is a completely different genre, and my future films will continue to explore unique and diverse genres."

He also shared his approach to casting. "I never wanted a story built around one particular lead actor. The lead actor should simply be a part of the story. We chose Naresh Agastya because he fits naturally into any narrative. After talking to him, I felt he was perfect for the role. He gave a very natural performance as Gurram Papi Reddy,” said Murali Manohar.