Dheeraj Mogilineni: Couple Friendly got A certificate because of the title
The film Couple Friendly, starring Santosh Soban and Manasa Varanasi, is all set to hit the screens on Valentine’s Day, February 14. Producer and distributor Dheeraj Mogilineni, who acquired the distribution rights for the two Telugu states, revealed on Tuesday that the censor authorities issued an ‘A’ certificate solely because of the film’s title.
From the beginning, the makers were clear about naming the film Couple Friendly. “Censor people asked me to change the title as they found it to be vulgar, which I didn’t agree to, because Couple Friendly was registered everywhere right from the start. I didn’t want to change it. That’s when the censor officials said they would give an ‘A’ certificate because of the title,” Dheeraj says, adding that the officials suggested changing the title to Friendly Couple, assuring a U/A certificate in that case. “I didn’t agree to that either. I left the decision to them, and they finally issued an ‘A’ certificate. I have watched the film, and there is absolutely no vulgarity at all, and it has several family-friendly scenes,” he says.
Dheeraj points out that despite similar content, the film’s Tamil version received a U/A certificate. “The Censor Board has given the Tamil version a U/A certificate, but for the Telugu version they issued an A certificate,” he confusedly shares. Confident about the film, he is planning premiere shows from Thursday onwards. “The film is releasing on February 14, and we are planning to have premiere shows on the 13th. I have immense confidence in the film. That’s why I decided to screen premieres from Thursday, so that positive word of mouth can help the film,” he adds.
Dheeraj adds that he has been actively promoting the film, and it is receiving encouraging responses, especially on social media. “People appreciated the trailer and teaser, but most of them said only one thing — they want Santosh Soban to get success with this film. He needs a hit, and after this film, he will get good offers and surely move up among the upcoming actors,” he shares.
He goes on to praise the female lead, Manasa Varanasi. “Manasa plays the character of Mitra in this film. She has done a fabulous job and will reach new heights in the coming days,” Dheeraj signs off.