"I am not completely married" Aarti Agarwal

Aarti Agarwal is one actress who has made more headlines for her personal life than her professional. Right from rumours of her relationship with actor Tarun and her alleged suicide attempt to her vanishing act from the movies, Aarti has been the subject of much speculation. But the 25-year-old actress who has “overcome the odds” and lost oodles of weight is all set for a comeback.

Neelaveni with Mukhul Dev will be her first film after her wedding with Ujwal, a techie in 2007. She has also signed another movie with Posani Krishna Murali. “I put on a lot of weight after an accident, which everyone made out to be a suicide attempt! So, I took a break to lose all those extra pounds. I also performed at a couple of shows in Doha to help me connect to my fans, though I wasn’t shooting,” she says.

Rumours are that Aarti who once only worked with the likes of Chiranjeevi, Nagarjuna, Venkatesh, Balakrishna, Mahesh Babu and NTR, is now lapping up any role that comes her way. “Working with top heroes is certainly a learning experience, but I can’t choose my co-stars. A good actor should be able to play any character well, I don’t mind being a heroine to any actor. I did Andala Ramudu opposite comedian Sunil and the movie was critically acclaimed,” she clarifies.While her professional life is looking up after a long time, there are rumours doing the rounds that she is back in tinsel town only because her marriage is on the rocks.

“This is not true, I’ve always been passionate about acting. Ujwal and I met each other on the Net. I was going through a bad phase in life at that time. We decided to get married immediately. Truth is we are yet to get to know each other. He wanted me to quit my film career, but I was not ready to do so. That’s when we decided to concentrate on our respective careers. In course of time, if we develop feelings for each other, we will stay together. Otherwise we will move on. For now, we are two good friends. I am not completely married”

The actress also rubbishes rumours that she was spotted at Tarun’s pub recently. “Tarun and I have not been in touch ever since my accident. I don’t even know where his pub is,” she says in her defence.The actress may be controversy’s favourite child, but she claims that she has become hardened enough to deal with anything now. “When I threw up once due to food poisoning, people reported that I’m pregnant. When I went out with my brother, a glossy referred to him as my new boyfriend! These reports used to affect me a lot before, but now I have stopped caring. I am too involved with my work and family now. I can handle situations better,” says Aarti who is 11-years-old in the industry now.

Aarti’s in fact, taking her love for family to a new level. Her dad Sashank Agarwal is all set to act in films with her. “My dad is my biggest support system. What I am today is all thanks to him. He will play my dad in one of my projects,” she says.Though there may be an influx of young actors sporting size zero figures and six packs in Tollywood, Aarti insists that she doesn’t feel threatened. “I think everyone has their own space in the industry. I may have been away for a while, but I haven’t changed much. I will still be doing glamorous roles. Filmmakers certainly know my strengths as an actress,” she signs off.

"Please don't compare me with Aishwarya Rai"

For Sneha Ullal who is considered a ‘clone’ of Aishwarya Rai, Bollywood is no more a viable choice and Tollywood is “home”. The 23-year-old Ullal who is three-films-old here claims that it is the Telugu film industry that taught her everything she knows about showbiz.
“I was born in Muscat and my lifestyle is different from the one here. I learnt a lot from Tollywood. I like the way this industry works, the people are warm. Moreover, the roles are encouraging. So, I am doing more films here than elsewhere,” says Sneha, who also has Kannada and Hindi films in her kitty.

Talking about the big, bad world of Bollywood, she says, “To survive in Bollywood, you need to be a lot more shrewd, smart and cold. I was just 17 when I did my first movie there. It was Tollywood that gave me a chance to prove that I can act.”

Sneha is also ready to set shop here and camp in Hyderabad from now on. “I’m planning to buy a house and settle down here. It will be convenient for filmmakers too since it will save them the trouble of flying me down from Mumbai every time,” she says.She may be a current favourite, thanks to the fair skin and light-eyed fixation the industry has. But, acting has never been the forte of Ullal who is often brushed off as a expressionless “glam doll”. “Yes, I have to improve on my dance, dubbing and emotional scenes,” she admits. “But if someone calls me a glam doll, I’d take it as a compliment,” says Sneha in her defence.

The actress also adds that she is looking for roles that are “hatke”. “I’ve realised that my roles are getting monotonous. I have only been playing the bubbly girl, probably because of my looks. I need to meet more filmmakers to bag different roles. I’d love to play a murderer or act in horror movies,” quips Sneha who admits that being an Aishwarya look-alike actually helped her at the beginning of her career.

“It did generate a lot of curiosity about me and people sat up and took notice. But it soon got tiring. I didn’t like being compared with Aishwarya always. She is a senior actress and I have just started my career. When they compare me with her, there are always more expectations. Looks can just get you a role, but you have to know how to act,” she says.

Tollywood tries creative promotions!!!

The Telugu film industry has left the days of advertising on flexi boards and posters far behind. With competition in Tollywood fierce, mana filmmakers are treading the innovative path when it comes to promoting their films. From publishing ‘making of the movie’ booklets and giving away freebies to fixing a date with the movie’s stars, directors are going the extra mile to make the audience sit up and take notice.

One such attempt is the ‘Win a cute car’ contest for the movie Naa Stylei Verule. A modified car complete with bright colours and a painted face, has been doing the rounds of the city and grabbing many eyeballs. The winner of a contest gets to take home this car which was used in the film.

Actor Rajasekhar, who played the lead role in this flick, says, “The car is so cute that both Bhumika and I wanted to buy it. Everyone started talking about it. So, the producer decided to give it away to the audience through a lucky draw. This kind of promotioncertainly adds to the movie’s curiosity value. It makes people inquisitive.”

Freebies are always a hit. Not to be left far behind, the filmmakers of Raju-Maharaju are distributing a glossy with behind-the-scenes images, making of the film details, interviews of the stars et al, in city theatres.

P. Ravi Kumar, MD of RK Media promotions, says, “We sent copies to all film personalities too, apart from putting it on the stands of theatres. This not only generates great interest among the audience but they also get to know more about the cast and crew of the film. It helps the audience connect with the film.

”Some tech-savvy filmmakers are even giving print promotions a miss to go the online way. The makers of Kalavaramaye Madhilo have not only started a website for the movie but are also aggressively promoting their flick on social networking sites like Facebook and Orkut. Actor Kamal Kamaraju, who plays the lead in the film, says, “We need to come out with multi layered promotion campaigns to draw audience attention. People can also download one minute of the movie songs for free.

This way, we get immediate feedback from the people about the movie.”
While the filmmakers of Current and Boni, conducted quizzes and gave away free goodies to viewers, the winners of the Current contest will snag a date with the film’s stars.Some filmmakers are even taking up “socially conscious” projects.

Actor Vikram adopted three villages as part of the Mallanna film’s activities. He says, “We wanted to implement the movie’s message. So we decided to adopt the villages and help bring in investments for its development.” But critics claim that this is just a gimmick to remain in public memory and generate interest for the movie.

" Naga Chaitanya and I are friends and not cousins"

Coming from a family of illustrious actors, Nagarjuna’s nephew Sushanth is already feeling the pressure of high expectations. With his second film Current all set to release, Sushanth is hoping he can recreate the Box Office success of his debut, Kalidasu.

“People will excuse you for your shortcomings in your first movie, but no one will take you seriously if you don’t improve with the second. Moreover, since I come from a family of actors, I have to make an effort to live up to their image,” says Sushanth.
In fact, the actor feels that other newcomers have it “easier” than him. “It may be difficult for actors from a non-filmy background to get their first break, but there aren’t too many expectations from them. I have it tough here.”

The actor says he is gung ho about his role in Current. “I have played a ‘mass’ role in Kalidasu, where I had to deliver over-the-top masala dialogues. But I don’t want to be stereotyped as a mass hero. I identify myself more with the lover boy I play in this film,” he says.
While the film fraternity often pits him against his first cousin and Nagarjuna’s son Naga Chaitanya who will debut soon, Sushanth says that they dreamed of their film careers together.

“I underwent training in acting, martial arts and gymnastics along with Chaitanya. In fact we rented an apartment in Mumbai and attended these classes together. The only difference is that I started doing films earlier than him. We are more like buddies,” he says.
While Naga Chaitanya may be on his side, Sushanth admits that the fear of competition from the current crop of actors always keeps him on his toes. “There is a sudden influx of young actors in Tollywood. It is a highly competitive environment and everyone is doing their best to survive. Even the audiences have become more difficult to please. They won’t watch a film because the actor comes from a filmy background, they will watch it if it’s different,” he adds.

Sushanth says he can’t help but be excited about his release. “I will watch the first show of my movie in a theatre to gauge the audiences’ reactions myself and get the right feedback. I want too see what parts of the movie makes them laugh and cry,” says the actor.

Reporter's diary: An attempt to bribe me.

My first tryst with Tollywood's corruption was shocking. I went to interview actor Sushanth today. He was all fine and the interview was great. I was done with it in 45 minutes. As I bid bye to him and stepped out of his Srinagar colony office, a media manager walked up to me. He said he wants to talk to me and wanted me to wait downstairs.

I thought he wanted to seriously tell me something. As I went down, he came running behind with a cover.He told me it had Rs 5000. I asked him what is it for?

He told me in a typical shy style " friendship".

I was flabberghasted and told him that I am not in this profession to make money. I warned him not to offer anything to me ever again if he wishes his stars interviews to be published in our newspaper. He had a filmi look with an expression of adoration and shock.
I would never forget this attempt to bribe on me ever.

' Mana ' Telugu stars make it big in ' Aravam' land

The Telugu film industry has always patronised Tamil stars, be it by offering them lead roles or grabbing every opportunity to dub their films. But finally, the tables have turned. It is Tollywood stars who are now busy expanding their territories by crossing the border. The likes of Swati, Madhushalini, Sharwanand, Uday Kiran and Subba Raju have become big names in Kollywood and are all set to start shooting for their next projects there. Nani and Vinayukudu too are geared up to make their Tamil debuts.

Uday Kiran, who is two-movies-old in Kollywood, and is shooting for his next, scripted by Tamil Nadu’s Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, says, “Earlier, filmmakers wanted to cast someone from their own industry. But now, irrespective of language, directors are looking for faces to suit their characters. As an artiste, I cherish the thought of being recognised in states other than AP.”
The fact that the Tamil industry has a sizeable foreign market also is a plus, admits Uday Kiran.

“The popularity of Telugu actors is spreading to other countries where Tamil cinema has a huge audience,” he adds.

The ongoing bilingual movie craze has certainly made this transition easier. Many actors are cashing in on this trend. Sharwanand, whose Kadal Naa Summa Illai was well received at the Tamil box office, says, “We bag a double market and this helps increase the budget of the movie, ensuring better output. Huge opportunities are coming our way now.”
And it is not for nothing that Tollywood actors are in demand. They are touted to be professional and willing to go the extra mile to learn a new language.

Swati who is basking in the glory of her Tamil blockbuster Subramaniapuram, says “Which actor won’t jump at the opportunity of doing films in different languages? Ever since my movie became a hit, I have become a recognised face there. When I recently went to Kerala for a shooting, I was mobbed by fans. It’s a nice feeling,” says the actress who now has a fan club even in Sri Lanka.

Many actors also feel that Kollywood roles are more “meaty”. Madhushalini who just finished shooting for a 16, a Tamil movie starring Shiva, reveals, “The roles offered by Tamil filmmakers are different and encouraging. I will be doing two more films in Tamil by the end of this year.”

Tollywood's Malaysian Obsession

Watch any latest film promo and you can see the lead pair either prancing around the Petronas or romancing at the Kuala Lumpur airport. With Australia banned due to the racist attacks, and Europe and the US ruled out due to recession, Tollywood is eyeing just one destination now — Malaysia. stunning locales, friendly tourism policies and easy-on-the-pocket prices, Malaysia is attracting just about every producer from mana tinsel town.

Recent hits like Kick, Mitrudu, Billa and Prayanam were all shot in Malaysia. That’s not all, lead pairs in forthcoming releases like Current and Raju-Maharaju too are now running around trees in Malaysian locales.

V. Suresh Reddy, co-producer, Kick, starring Ravi Teja and Illeana, says, “We camped for over a month there. I think Malaysia worked well for the film as it has beautiful locales. The landscape added to the movie’s overall appeal.”

But there’s more to this trend than just love for natural beauty. “Malaysia is an obvious choice these days as shooting there works out 20 per cent cheaper,” adds Suresh Reddy.
Chandrasekhar Yeleti, director of Prayanam, agrees that shooting in Malaysia is lighter on the pocket.

“I wanted to shoot my movie in a huge airport, but European airports proved to be too expensive. Malaysia was the apt locale on both counts. The charges were reasonable and authorities gave us permission easily. About 40 of us went there to shoot.”
Such is the craze that Tollywood producers are now writing their stories around Malaysia. In Billa, Prabhas is a don operating from Malaysia and Prayanam is a story where Manoj falls in love at the Malaysian airport. And in Kick, Illeana is an Indian girl settled in Malaysia. The dancers and stunt men from there are also popular.What’s more, the fact that the country gives permission to shoot easily is an added bonus. “They are lenient when it comes to granting permissions for chase sequences and dances too.

In fact, we even shot scenes right in front of the Prime Minister’s office. Their film-tourism policy is something that makes life easy for Telugu filmmakers,” adds Suresh Reddy.

"Tollywood audience can't see heroes die"

She belongs to one the most illustrious film families of Tollywood. With veteran actor Krishna for a father and current Tollywood heartthrob Mahesh Babu for a brother, it could have been easy for Manjula Swaroop to be overshadowed by their success. Yet, she has carved a niche for herself in the male dominated Telugu film industry. While her debut film Show bagged two national awards, Pokiri which was produced by her raked in more than Rs 60 crore and became the biggest hit of the year.

Manjula who has been producing films for six years has yet another unconventional film lined up — Kavya’s diary. The film has Charmee in the lead, and deals with the hardships of a working woman in an urban setting. But will a woman-oriented film work, especially since Tollywood has so far been dominated by hero-centric films? “Five years ago when I did Show, the Telugu audience was not ready for women-oriented movies. But more recently we’ve had films like Anasuya, Mantra and Arundati which did well at the box office,” Manjula says. The Telugu audience, she says, is probably ready for female oriented movies.

While Manjula has numerous hits to her credit, she feels that flops like Nani have helped her stay grounded. The sociology graduate now plans to remake James Bond with her brother in the lead.
While she is open to acting, she chooses parallel cinema to showcase her talent. However, when it comes to producing films, Manjula prefers to play it safe. “The audience here prefer entertainment. They can’t accept films where the hero is killed. They need a good potboiler. Even when Tamil films are remade in Telugu, the climax is altered to suit the audience taste,” she adds.

While it is common to see star sons turn actors in Tollywood, it is always different for the daughters. “In our society, daughters are more sheltered. Although I was offered lead roles, I had to turn them down due to objections from my father’s fans,” she reveals. Manjula who wanted to be a part of the film industry since the age of 15 was furious when she was told that fans looked upon her as a sister. “They didn’t want to see me in commercial cinema. We have to respect the audience’s sentiments, I guess,” she says adding that in retrospect she wouldn’t have been comfortable with acting in commercial films either.

Manjula, who has produced several films for her brother confesses that it is not an easy task. “When I am working with Mahesh, I have to be on my toes. He is a perfectionist. I discuss every story with him. When I am working with him, I just can’t relax,” she says.

Tollywood's promising actor!!

Sharwanand’s Tollywood career started with supporting roles… brother, friend, second lead. But the success of Gamyam shot this 25-year-old into the big league. Despite coming from a non-film background, Sharwanand is now one of the busiest of the new breed; already ten films old, currently working on three films, with Raju-Maharaju slated for release.

Sharwanand credits his slow rise to fame as the reason for his success. “I didn’t have instant fame. I grew slowly and stardom hasn’t gotten to me. I did a variety of roles to come to this stage. I’ve aspired to be an actor ever since I was 17. My duty is to entertain people and I will continue to do so,” he says.

Tollywood’s not all. Ever since Gamyam’s Tamil avatar, Kaadhal Naa Summa Illai, did well at the Box Office, his popularity levels are high in the Tamil industry too. And now, his Telugu films are being dubbed in Tamil as well. Not surprisingly, this is garnering Sharwanand offers from Kollywood too. “I’ll start shooting for my Tamil films after September. Meanwhile, I’ll brush up on my Tamil for the upcoming projects there so I can deliver my dialogues.”

In an industry where a large percentage of the current crop of debutantes is the offspring of actors, directors and music composers, does he think a film background matters? “It’s clear,” he says, “No one can afford a flop. I know a lot of youngsters from a filmy background who want to do my kind of movies, but they can’t because they are bogged down by their parents’ image. Their parents’ fans expect a lot from them and hence the young actors are under pressure. if we fail at the box office, we may get five more offers; if they fail they might bag 10. Ultimately, star son or not, everyone has to put in hard work to prove himself.”

Popular he may be, but Sharwanand’s baby-face has critics suggesting that he looks too young for most of his co-stars. Does he plan to ‘age’ to be in sync with his heroines? “Well, there are a few people who said I looked younger than Kamilini Mukherjee. I exercise, put on weight and try to look older. But ultimately, it’s the director who decides the star cast. So, it’s his responsibility,” he chuckles.

Telugu Payya , Tamil superstar !!!

Bilingual movies are the toast of Tollwyood currently. And basking in the success of this trend is actor Vishal Krishna Reddy, a big name in the Tamil industry, who has managed to wow the local audiences too with his act in Pistha. This son of veteran Tamil producer G.K. Reddy, who is 12-movies-old, says his career is in a happy place now.

“I never thought my movie will do this well here. Earlier, my flicks were dubbed in Telugu from Tamil. But it was my dad’s dream that I act in a Telugu film since we are from Andhra Pradesh. Bilinguals seem to be the perfect success-formula for me. From Salute to Pistha, all my movies have been great hits here,” says Vishal.

The actor may have tasted great success in Tamil Nadu, but he is aiming at making it big in Tollywood. “I am already enjoying the fact that my films are doing well in both the states. But now, I have plans of expanding my Telugu career by working with Telugu directors as Tollywood is one of the biggest industries,” he says.

With his eyes set on Telugu film industry, this Chennaite plans to stay in the city for three months working on his Tollywood career. And he is definitely not complaining as he claims this is one way for him to visit his home town Rajahmundry. “We went on my movie’s success tour to my native place and it felt great. The last time I went there was when I was a child. The whole experience was nostalgic and everyone welcomed me warmly,” he recollects.

The actor may have many movies in his kitty, thanks to his ability to play a hero that the masses can relate to, but the he inisists that he doesn’t want to be stereotyped. “Being a mass hero certainly helps in getting good collections, but I don’t want to have one particular ‘image’. I am trying to do as many different roles as possible. I am playing a lover boy in my next film which is going to be very different from all the tough-boy roles I’ve played,” he says.

What’s more, Vishal has been making news not just for his films, but for the six-pack abs he sports that made audiences sit up and take notice. “I don’t mind even baring it all if the director asks me to do so,” he quips.His film career may be going great guns, but the actor reveals that he always aspired to be a film director. Acting happened “accidentally”. “I was so inspired after watching Ram Gopal Varma’s film Shiva that I contacted him. I even managed to bag an apprenticeship with him. But my mom didn’t allow me to leave home and fly to Mumbai. Then eventually, I got an acting offer. If I had taken up RGV’s offer, I would have been a director by now,” he quips.

Tollywood copies Hollywood stories !!

Next time a Telugu movie leaves you with a strange sense of déjà vu, don’t fret. It’s no psychic occurrence, just a classic case of ‘copied from Hollywood’. Unfortunately, for cinema lovers in the city, all the latest Tollywood flicks like Kavya’s Diary, Aakashamanthe, Prayanam and many more, that boast of a ‘different storyline’, is more than just “inspired” from English movies. From the plot and settings to even the way scenes are picturised, “everything is lifted”, lament city film buffs.

Satish K, a graphic designer recollects his one such experience of ‘have seen it before’. “I went to watch Kavya’s Diary as the trailers looked interesting. The minute I started watching it, I realised it was the remake of English flick The Hand that Rocks the Cradle. Since I knew every scene from the English film, I couldn’t enjoy Kavya’s Diary at all. It was a waste of time. I wonder why the filmmakers didn’t mention that it is a remake of the movie,” he says.

Balakrishna Kodavati, a filmmaking student couldn’t agree more. “I watch every other release in Tollywood and most often, walk out of the theatre disappointed as they are mere rip-offs of English movies. Directors just add songs, melodrama and and mindless comedy tracks to ‘Indianise’ the plot,” he says.

Veedokkade starring Surya reminds viewers of ' Catch Me If You Can ' and the plot of Aakashamantha bears much resemblance to the storyline of ' Father of the Bride' . While Manoj’s Prayanam is evidently inspired by ' The Terminal,' Nenu Meeku Telusa is very similar to 50 First Dates. Even Arundhati, this year’s biggest blockbuster, is touted to be a desi version of the Hollywood horror Sleepy Hollow.

While Shyam Prasad Reddy, producer of Arundhati, denies this rumour, he admits, “Yes, it is usually easy for a director to convince the hero to act in his film, if it is already a hit in another language. Many feel it is easy to replicate that success. But I can assure you that Arundhati is not a copy of the Sleepy Hollow.However, filmmakers justify that it is ok to ‘draw inspiration’ from different sources. Sravanti Ravi Kishore, senior film maker, says, “What matters is whether the movie is better than the English film or not. Lot of flicks are based on novels. And if that can happen, why can’t movies be inspired by other language films.”

Season of sequel flicks in Tollywood!!!

Who says only the likes of Spiderman, Harry Potter or Munna Bhai are allowed to have one adventure after the other. With sequel fever hitting Tollywood, mana heroes too are geared up to entertain audiences with their escapades all over again. While Allu Arjun’s Arya 2, Krishnudu’s Village Lo Vinayakudu, Gaayam 2 starring Jagapathi Babu and Aditya 369 are being shot currently, Diary, touted as a sequel to Charmee’s Mantra has already hit the theatres. Blame it on lack of original scripts or the desire to cash in on the previous movies’ success, sequels have become the flavour of Tollywood now.

Sharath Kumar, senior film critic and member of Film Censor Board says, “Since the director of a hit movie has already captured the pulse of the audience, he plans the sequel in a hope to repeat that Box Office magic. When it is a new film, the director has to think of different ways to draw the audience to the theatres. Whereas, it’s not hard for the sequel of a hit movie to attract the crowds.”

Some film makers who are making sequels, are insisting on casting the same stars, even though they are undertaking this project years after the first film’s release. Praveen Sri, director of Gaayam 2 says, “The sequel will be directed in such a way that even youngsters who couldn’t watch Gaayam 15 years ago can easily understand the story. We are planning to cast the same team of actors in the film even though they may have aged considerably, to retain the authenticity. This sequel takes off from where Gaayam ends.”

Most of all, bringing out a sequel makes commercial sense, feel film makers. Mahi, the CEO of Moonwater Pictures, which is producing Village Lo Vinkayakudu, says, “Since a brand is already established with the first film, we feel it is safe to use the tried and tested formula again. With a huge number of people having watched the first movie, we are sure they will come back to watch the sequel.”

What’s more, the makers of Village lo Vinayakudu hope to break a popular Tollywood superstition by bringing out the sequel. “Usually, there is a belief in the industry that most directors’ second movie flops. As the Vinayakudu sequel will be the second movie for our director, we wanted to break the jinx by repeating the success formula,” he quips.

But going by the bad track record of previous sequels in Tollywood, success is not always guaranteed. In fact, Money Money and Shankardada Zindabad were big duds at the Box Office.
Aditya, a director opines, “I wanted to do a sequel of Shankarabharanam. But since all the sequels in Tollywood were a flop, I’m giving the idea a miss. Sequels may be very successful in Hollywood and Bollywood, but the Telugu audiences are different. In fact, because filmmakers fail to live up to the expectations of the first super hit film, the idea often backfires.”