Telugu cinema wakes up to multi-starrers

In the last one month alone, three multi-starrers have been announced in Tollywood. Nagarjuna and NTR Jr are acting in one, Ravi Teja and Venkatesh are teaming up in second and the third
being the Telugu remake of Bangalore Days, for which the cast is yet to be finalised. Three more multi-starrers ��� Gopala Gopala, Baahubali and Rudhramadevi ��� in various stages of production ��� and one more featuring Mahesh and Nagarjuna, to be directed by Mani Ratnam is on hold.It���s pretty obvious multi-starrers are in vogue in Tollywood, it���s the first time in over two decades that we have as many in the offing.
A SHIFT IN MINDSET
The success of multi-starrer films like Seethamma Vakitlo Sirimalle Chettu and Manam seems to have spurred mana filmmakers to come up with 'innovative��� scripts that are winning the nod of the big stars.
Nagarjuna, who���s signed his second straight multistarrer with NTR Jr, says, ���After the debacle of Bhai, I decided to break out of the formula trap. I was really surprised with the script that director Vamsi Paidipally narrated to me. It will take the audience too by surprise.��� The actor adds, ���My dad (ANR) and NTR were a hit pair on-screen, but Balakrishna and I never managed to act together in a film. I���m looking forward to work with NTR Jr.���
Venkatesh, who is shooting for Gopala Gopala, featuring Pawan Kalyan, reckons that multi-starrers are a gradual progression for him as an actor. ���There comes a stage in every actor���s life when you have to accept that you can���t do the kind of films the younger lot is doing. I have been looking for fresher scripts that would suit my age and maturity,��� shares Venky, who is playing a ���newly-wed��� antique dealer in the film.
Venky believes that the camaraderie that he shares with Pawan Kalyan will be the highlight of the film besides the film���s innovative hook. ���I���m working with Pawan Kalyan for the first time. We are good friends and share great camaraderie.We have some wonderful dialogues and I���m confident that the audiences would love it. The film will be special not only because we are working together, but also for its novel concept where an antique dealer sues God in a court of law,��� says Venky.
SENSIBILITIES IN SCRIPT
However, writing scripts for two stars isn���t an easy proposition as the prospect of pandering to the heroes��� egos and their sensibilities is easier said than done. Talking about how he convinced Mahesh and Venky for SVSC, director Srikanth Addala says, ���I worked on the script for two years. Eventually, what hooked the stars to the script was the emotional depth in the plot. The script was so simple and close to reality which found resonance with the stars and the audience.���
Echoing a similar thought is a source close to director Vamsi Paidipally,who is currently penning the script for an NTR Jr-Nagarjuna film. The source explains, ���The script work is currently on and it���s being written bearing in mind the image of both the star heroes. The emphasis is now on how to make it better so that it looks comprehensive and suit their image.���
A CALCULATED GAMBLE
Ensemble star casts cause the budgets to skyrocket as the stakes get higher. So the makers count on the hype generated by the star cast to seal pre-release deals. It���s a calculated risk that the producers are now willing to take.
���Mutli-starrers always have high expectations amongst fans and audience.However, in terms of market, definitely there are high stakes and the success depends on making sure the budgets don���t spiral out of control. Mahesh and Venky compromised on their remuneration and that���s what made it viable. Also, marketing the film becomes easier and you can draw more crowd to the theatres,��� says Dil Raju
Distributors and exhibitors echo similar thoughts. Suresh, a leading distributor from West Godavari, says that distribution rights fetch a much higher price for a multi-starrer movie. ���Definitely multi-starrers draw larger crowd than a single hero.Naturally,we need to bag the area rights for a high price, so we have to take that gamble to acquire them. But the best part is that the publicity for the film becomes easy for us.���