Deewana, starring Harshith Reddy and directed by debutant Sreekanth Sangishetty, opened in theatres on Saturday. The film was originally scheduled to hit theatres on Friday, June 19, but was postponed by a day and released on June 20. Producers Vasudev and Sridevi allege that the CBFC procedures delayed their film's release.
“Despite the lack of any objectionable content in our film, we were still given an 'A' certificate. Deewana is about friendship, emotions, and strong dialogues. A 20-year-old boy falls in love with a girl, and his life changes completely. He starts respecting his parents and wants to build his career. There are many positive aspects in the film, so we were surprised that it received an ‘A’ certificate. This was even after we implemented the cuts suggested by the CBFC. We didn’t have time to argue further,” the producers claim. They went on to explain that the CBFC delay affected all their promotional plans for the film. “We wanted to travel to different cities for promotions from Monday to Thursday and also planned advance screenings before the release. But because of the censor issue, everything got delayed,” says Vasudev.
It was a choice between hell and high water for the producers, who share that they couldn't afford to postpone the film, having invested heavily in promotion. “We planned our marketing aggressively and spent money on it. For a film made on a modest budget, changing the release date requires significant time, effort, and additional expenses. We had already put in so much work. While we were planning promotions, there was no proper communication from the Censor Board. By the time everything was cleared, we couldn’t do much,” he adds, also revealing that they did not have enough time to approach the Censor Board again or apply for a revision. “We respect the Censor Board, but we need proper communication about how to proceed. Earlier, films were censored on a priority basis, but that system was removed, and we came to know about it only two days before our censor process,” says Vasudev.
They also took the opportunity to thank veteran producer Allu Aravind for standing by them and sharing encouraging words about the film. “He always encouraged us. He told us that we have made a good film and should show it to audiences early so positive word-of-mouth can spread. Unfortunately, we couldn’t do that because of the censor delay,” they say, as Vasudev adds that the film was mostly shot in real locations. “We used real locations, and many people felt those places became characters in the film. I was brought up in Seethaphalmandi during my early years, and the director also belongs to the same area, so we shot extensively there, and it worked very well,” says Vasudev.
Breaking the silence on the negative comments the film received for the trailer, producers say it is surprising to see a hate campaign to derail a film made by fresh faces. “After the trailer came out, some people started posting negative comments. Even before the release, some people from Mumbai posted negative reactions. This is a small film with a debutant director and many new actors. We only wanted to make a good film, so we don’t understand why some people wanted to spread negativity. They express their disbelief, adding that despite all the hurdles, they remain positive. “We faced many problems, but we believe the film will speak for itself in the coming days." Vasudev and Sridevi earlier worked for six years in the creative department of Aha. “Financially, there may be ups and downs, but creatively we are satisfied that we made a good film,” says Sridevi.
The producers are also planning two more interesting projects. One is a superhero story with newcomers. “It is a fresh concept in Telugu cinema. The story of how he gets his powers and becomes a superhero is interesting, and there is comedy too. It will be a complete entertainer,” shares Vasudev. The second project revolves around a musician. “Usually, we hear music, but in this story, the character can see music. We will announce the superhero film first, followed by this musical story,” says Sridevi, who reveals just enough about this unique project to save more surprises, as the duo signs off.
