Sreenu Vaitla: Ravi Teja’s famous Venky originally had a different name 

Director Sreenu Vaitla has shared a lesser-known anecdote about the making of his 2004 comedy Venky, starring Ravi Teja. In an interview with Gulte, Vaitla revealed that the titular character’s name was originally different during production.

“Throughout the shoot, we used the name Seenu (Srinivas Rao) for the lead role. However, during post-production, we felt Venky had a better ring to it and would work well as a title,” Vaitla said. Since both names matched the actor’s lip-sync, the team opted to retain the footage and dub over with the new name.

He further said that the film’s producer, Purna Chandra Rao, had initially suggested naming the film Ravi Teja, questioning why a film starring Ravi Teja should carry a title associated with another popular actor, Venkatesh. However, Ravi Teja supported the director’s vision, and the film was ultimately titled Venky.

Venky, known for its blend of crime, comedy, and a memorable supporting cast including Brahmanandam, has since become a cult favourite among Telugu cinema audiences.

On the work front, Sreenu Vaitla is reportedly collaborating with Mythri Movie Makers for his next project. Ravi Teja, meanwhile, will appear in Mass Jathara coming out on August 27 and is set to work with director Kishore Tirumala for a Sankranthi 2026 release.