The SKN and Sai Rajesh jointly produced Chennai Love Story, starred Kiran Abbavaram and Sri Gouri Priya in lead roles, with Ravi Namburi making his directorial debut with the film. Sai Rajesh also penned the story. The makers recently held a success event, with actor Naga Chaitanya in attendance as the chief guest. Speaking on the occasion, producer SKN revealed that the film had achieved break-even within just four days of its release.
Quoting a famous dialogue from Trivikram Srinivas' Khaleja, SKN said, “Before a miracle happens, nobody believes it. After it happens, there is no need to convince anyone.”
He added that he and Sai Rajesh always prioritise two groups of people. “The first is the audience who buy tickets and watch our films, and the second is the distributors and exhibitors who stand as the backbone of every release. If both of them are happy, we are truly happy. Within just four days, Chennai Love Story achieved break-even across Andhra, Nizam and Ceded. This is not just a blockbuster; it is an even bigger success than that,” said SKN.
The producer revealed that distributor Shashi of Mythri Movie Makers, who released the film in the Nizam region, along with distributor Yathi, had confirmed the film's successful run. “Our Andhra distributor will also share his experience at our upcoming press meet,” he added.
Recalling his early days, SKN said, “I started my career with a salary of just Rs 2,500 a month at a television channel. Money has never been my biggest priority. If I find a filmmaker like Sai Rajesh, I will happily produce a film every two or three years purely out of passion.”
SKN thanked everyone who supported the film. “Within six hours of the film's release, we started receiving tremendous love from both the audience and the film industry,” he said.
He also praised lead actor Kiran Abbavaram. “Kiran worked tirelessly and constantly gave us confidence throughout the journey. As long as he continues with this dedication, he will achieve greater heights in his career. He has earned tremendous credibility, and today audiences are coming to theatres because they trust a film that stars Kiran Abbavaram,” he said.
Speaking about Sri Gouri Priya, SKN said, “Her performance in this film will definitely change the way female leads are written in Telugu cinema. I believe filmmakers will come up with more performance-oriented roles for actresses because Gouri Priya has proved how effectively she can convey emotions on screen.”
Talking about his friend and co-producer Sai Rajesh, SKN said, “After seeing Monday's collections, Sai Rajesh finally believed that the film had become a success. He is a very happy man now.”
He also expressed his gratitude to Mythri Movie Makers for distributing the film. “Mythri Naveen garu was the first person to watch our film on the morning of its release. He appreciated it immensely and told us it was an exceptional film that would generate impressive numbers at the box office,” SKN said.
The producer added that some people in the industry watch films only to find faults. “The real judgment lies in understanding the audience's pulse even before the release. That is one of the reasons why Mythri Movie Makers has become one of India's biggest production houses,” he said.
Speaking about Naga Chaitanya's presence at the event, SKN said, “Whenever people think of love stories in Telugu cinema, they remember the Akkineni family because they have given us so many memorable romantic films. We are delighted that Naga Chaitanya's presence has become a stamp of approval for Chennai Love Story. Despite his busy shooting schedule, he came here to support us, and we are grateful. I hope to make a beautiful love story with Naga Chaitanya in the future,” said SKN.
