Tollywood stars on a cameo spree

They say all good things come in small packages. Well, makers of a slew of upcoming films are hopeful that ���cameo appearances��� by big ticket stars will prove the old axiom true. However, these special appearances aren���t just an attention grabbing PR hook. The cameos are getting a separate pitch as they are no longer blink and miss moments. With superstars like Allu Arjun, Mahesh Babu, Ram Charan and Ravi Teja doing cameos, filmmakers are pulling out all stops to maximise impact and guarantee the best bang for the audiences��� buck.
If director Gunasekhar is to be believed, Allu Arjun���s portrayal of a Kakatiya military chieftain Gona Ganna Reddy in Rudhrammadevi will go down as one of the most memorable performances in the history of Telugu cinema. ���Historical characters like Palanati Brahmanayudu (NTR), Tenali Ramakrishna (ANR), Thandra Paparayudu (Krishnam Raju), Annamayya (Nagarjuna), Alluri Seetharamaraju (Krishna) have all become synonymous with the roles played by yesteryear matinee idols for Telugu audiences. Allu Arjun will set a similar benchmark with his enactment of Gona Ganna Reddy,��� promises Gunasekhar.
The Stylish Star, who earlier essayed a powerful special appearance in cousin Ram Charan���s Yevadu, echoes the filmmaker���s sentiment, saying, ���When Gunasekhar narrated the role, I imagined it to be on the lines of Robinhood. It���s a role that���s very unique and I like the way the character was etched and such opportunities rarely come by. I believe it will appeal to the youth and the masses.���
Meanwhile, Ram Charan himself is looking to make a bit of history of his own in dad Chiranjeevi���s 150th film. ���I will be playing a cameo in my dad���s 150th film. I want to make the most of it. We have identified three scripts and will zero in on one soon,��� says Ram Charan, who is also producing the movie. Mahesh Babu has also jumped into the ���cameo bandwagon���, with his brother-in-law Sudheer Babu���s forthcoming romantic drama, Krishnamma Kalipindi Iddarini. It���s a first for Mahesh who has so far only lent his voice for films like Pawan Kalyan���s Jalsa and NTR Jr���s Baadshah.
���Mahesh has a special role in the film and the actor instantly agreed to do it. It���s a small role, but will make a big impact and his fans are going to love it. Sudheer was largely responsible for the superstar to come on board,��� informs a source from the film���s unit.
Ravi Teja, on the other hand, is playing a cameo in Sai Ram Shankar���s next as a goodwill gesture and the filmmakers aver that his role will be one of the highlights of the film. Then there is Rana Daggubati who created a lot of buzz with small but crucial appearances in ���good friend��� Ranbir Kapoor���s Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani and Ajith���s bilingual Aarambham. While the actor has stated before that he did those films for personal reasons, the performances paved way for his upcoming films in Bollywood and Kollywood respectively. When they say cameos can have a big impact, this is what they mean.