The Honest Trailer of ‘Kalki’ was unveiled on Monday at Prasad Lab, in Hyderabad. Dr. Rajasekhar, the film’s hero, was flanked by director Prasanth Varma, guest Praveen Sattaru and others on the stage. The film will hit the screens on June 28.
Speaking on the occasion, actor Siddhu Jonnalagedda said, “It’s like I am here today with my extended family. Praveen Sattaru, with whom I have always loved to work, is here. ‘Kalki‘ is a period film that has come out really well. I hope it does well for everybody associated with the project.”
New actor Krishna Chaitanya said, “I have played a fearsome role in the movie and I am sure that everybody will notice me. I can’t thank my director enough for this. He was my senior during Engineering days. The Honest Trailer is more effective than the recently-released Commercial Trailer. I am very excited ahead of the film’s release.”
Jeevitha Rajasekhar said, “I thank Praveen Sattaru for being here today. The Trailer launch has been delayed by several hours due to an unavoidable technical issue. I hope the media wouldn’t mind it, as they are like our family. After ‘PSV Garuda Vega’, the only story we came across with the potential to rev up the image of Rajasekhar garu is ‘Kalki’. Many producers approached us to do a film with him after ‘Garuda Vega’. We were happy only with this story narrated by Prasanth Varma. He has a team of 10-12 members at Scriptsville and he can narrate several stories in 30 minutes. Initially, he merely wanted to write the film but later on, decided to wield the megaphone. Once we approached C Kalyan annayya, he assured us that he would produce the film and let us make money. After he came on board, we never had to look back. He never compromised on the quality. He gave us all the budget we needed. Every promotional video and song released so far has received extraordinary applause.”
Director Prasanth Varma said, “We are releasing the Honest Trailer days ahead of the pre-release event. The Motion Poster, Teaser, Commercial Trailer and this Honest Trailer have been designed to build the right kind of expectations from the movie. After the commercial trailer was out, even non-resident audiences compared it with big names like ‘Game Of Thrones’. ‘Kalki‘ has got all commercial elements, including comedy and an item song. The commercial trailer was meant to impress the target audience. And the Honest Trailer tells you what the film is about.”
He added, “The story is set in 1983. I am a director who likes to do films set in the future. Period drama is not my cup of tea. I took up to direct ‘Kalki’ only after doing thorough research. The production design, cinematography, etc had to be done meticulously. Although ‘Kalki’ is an investigative thriller, it is a commercial family film with no sleazy or embarrassing moments. Compared to my first film, this one was made on a bigger scale, having been shot in multiple locations. We had to travel extensively and shoot in slippery and dangerous places. Rajasekhar garu has put in so much physical work. He had to work for a day in a 100ft deep place. The technical team is working round the clock to give the best output on June 28. We will recover the investment only if the film becomes a blockbuster.”
He further said, “This film wouldn’t have been possible had Praveen Sattaru not made ‘Garuda Vega’. Jeevitha garu has been working patiently, handling different works. She has been a bridge between me and producer C Kalyan garu. The film’s story is by Sai Teja and the screenplay is by Scriptsville. They worked on the script continuously even during the making of the movie.”
The director said, “The template that ‘Kalki’ follows is novel. You won’t be able to predict what will happen in the next scene. I hope our film will set an example for others to follow. Kalki is a loveable character who can become a franchise. After watching the movie, you will wait for ‘Kalki-2’. There are only two songs in the film, the other four being theme songs in three languages.”
Dr. Rajasekhar said, “I could work with Kodi Ramakrishna garu, Raviraja Pinishetty garu and Muthyala Subbaiah garu repeatedly. In this generation, the likes of Praveen Sattaru and Prasanth Varma give me a sense of assurance. They make me feel secure. They have taught me to be measured in my performance to suit the tastes of today’s audience. I am yet to watch ‘Kalki‘. I watched just 3 reels and it had me guessing throughout. I want to watch the entire film at one go. If a child passes with distinction, he would get scoldings the next time he doesn’t score well. In the same way, we are expected to follow the high standards that ‘Garuda Vega’ has set. The director has worked hard to beat ‘Garuda Vega’ in terms of content. Jeevitha has been a backbone of the film. I engage myself with my character once I okay the script. And it is she who takes care of everything for me. We are glad that L Suresh garu, the financier, is associated with our project. He is considered a lucky hand. As for my daughters, I am proud that they have turned producers. When Chiranjeevi garu’s son became a producer, he was very proud. I felt that I would have been proud like him had I had a son producing a movie. But my daughters are doing their best on the production front and making me proud.”
C Kalyan said, “Kalki is both powerful and thrilling. I am sure it will be a bigger hit than ‘Garuda Vega’ and will reach even B and C centres. The way Rajasekhar talks in the movie is very entertaining. The story is novel and the way it has been executed, it’s quite thrilling. I am getting calls from exhibitors, asking me to give the film to them. One person has bought the entire theatrical rights. The technical elements are terrific. They have been working tirelessly for one week.”
Praveen Sattaru said, “Jeevitha garu is like Rajasekhar garu’s backbone. Without her, ‘Garuda Vega’ wouldn’t have happened. Coming to ‘Kalki’, the makers are conveying what they want to through the pre-release videos, which are creating a lot of curiosity. You will see Rajasekhar garu with full force in the movie. Prasanth Varma comes with a lot of command over all crafts of cinema. Rajasekhar garu is lots of fun to be with.”
L Suresh said that the film is exceedingly good-looking. “It will get massive success and will give profit to everyone from the producers to the seller of snacks in theatres.”
Cast & Crew:
Rajasekhar, Adah Sharma, Nandita Swetha, Poojitha Ponnada, Scarlett Wilson, Rahul Ramakrishna, Nasser, Ashutosh Rana, Siddhu Jonnalagadda, Shatru, Charandeep, Venugopal, ‘Vennela’ Rama Rao, DS Rao, Satish (Bunty) and others are part of the cast.
Music: Shravan Bharadwaj. Cinematography: Dasaradhi Shivendra. Screenplay: Scriptsville. Art: Nagendra. Editor: Goutham Nerusu. Stills: Murthy. Lyrics: Krishna Kanth (KK). Costume Designer: Aditi Agarwal. Fights: Naga Venkat, Robin-Subbu. Production Controller: Salana Balagopal Rao. Chief Co-Ordinator: Madhava Sai. Line Producer: Venkat Kumar Jetti. PRO: Naidu Surendra Kumar-Phani Kandukuri. Producer: C Kalyan. Director: Prasanth Varma.