'Mangalavaaram' reminded me of 'Anveshana' first. It reminded me of 'Arundhati' as I watched it: Ace producer Dil Raju at Success Meet

'Mangalavaaram', directed by young filmmaker Ajay Bhupathi, has been lapped up by the audience across the spectrum. Produced by Swathi Reddy Gunupati and Suresh Varma M on Mudhra Media Works, the film is also produced by Bhupathi on A Creative Works. Payal Rajput, 'Rangam' fame Ajmal Amir, Nandita Swetha, Sritej, and Shravan Reddy play major roles in this thriller released in Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, Kannada and Malayalam. With the thriller raking in excellent numbers at the box office, its success meet was held today in Hyderabad.

Speaking on the occasion, ace producer Dil Raju, who distributed the film in Nizam, said, "We have had directors who try to make it pleasing to the audience. Some try to show what they believe in. In the history of cinema, directors like Balachander garu, Vamsee garu, Ram Gopal Varma garu, and Krishna Vamsi garu tried to convey their beliefs through their films. When I watched 'RX 100', I felt that Ajay Bhupathi had done a good job. That film made him famous. He made 'Maha Samudram'. Knowing that he was doing his third film with new people, I inquired about it. He forwarded me the poster of 'Mangalavaaram', which I found quite interesting. That was before the shoot. He then narrated the story for 30 minutes.

I told him he was trying something new. When I heard this story, I remembered Vamsee''s 'Anveshana'. The way I enjoyed that movie, I enjoyed it when I heard the story of 'Mangalavaaram'. He informed me about Swathi Gunupati garu producing this movie. The director is known to extract the best from his artists and technicians until he gets what he wants. I distributed the movie in Nizam because I liked the story. When the makers decided to hold early premiers, I asked them to screen the movie for me so that I could see if the content was strong. The first half satisfied me. The first 20 minutes of the second half were so good.

I was reminded of 'Arundhati' as I watched the second half. If people are talking excitedly about the movie, that's because of the climax and the twists in the second half. I congratulate the producers for scoring a hit with their maiden venture. 'Mangalavaaram' has seen the collections grow show after show. On Friday, morning collections were Rs 18 lakh, afternoon show collections were Rs 20 lakh and on Saturday, Rs 15 lakh and Rs 25 lakh is what the movie collected in the morning and afternoon, respectively. These are Nizam territory collections. The content speaks for itself. 'Balagam', 'Baby', 'Samajavaragamana', and now 'Mangalavaaram'. These successes prove something. 'Mangalavaaram' will continue to grow in strength."

Director Ajay Bhupathi said, "I felt the vibes of 'RX 100' since the shooting of the film was completed and the publicity started. The trailer became a big hit. As it is a heroine-centric and character-based movie, I thought the audience would be slow to take to the movie. After the paid premiere bookings started, the shows were running to packed houses. Later, we increased paid premiere shows. The audience say it is a better movie than 'RX 100'. Ajaneesh's music has been talked about. A viewer said that the music is haunting. Another viewer spoke about Dasaradhi Sivendra's camera work. Miracles can happen with the right visual sense.

The editor also did a great job. Even Payal was bowled over by the realistic art direction. This is a technician's movie. I am happy that today everyone is talking about the technical work and the plot twists. This is a rustic and realistic blockbuster. Twists haven't been discussed in reviews. I thank the reviewers for keeping their reviews spoiler-free. The Telugu audience have enjoyed many experimental films. 'Shiva', 'Sankarabharanam' and 'Arya' are experimental films. I did not shoot 'RX 100' with stars. Yet, it was a blockbuster. That's why I made 'Mangalavaram' without stars. I am happy to have taken an out-of-the-box story and delivered a hit. Mudhra Media Works has made an excellent product." The director lauded Payal's performance in the movie.

Producer Swathi Reddy Gunupati expressed her happiness. "We thought of making a film a year ago. I never thought that I would sit in such a success meet. Everyone who made my dream come true is here. First, my fellow producer Suresh Varma, our director Ajay Bhupathi and all the artists are here. Despite being a new production house, they trusted us and worked with us. Ajay Bhupathi treated me like a child. Without him, this journey would not have been so easy. It seemed that he was waiting for me to do this film. It is a thriller but has a good message. All women will like it. Everyone should watch the movie. The director added commercial value to the story. It was shot to give goosebumps to the audience. Payal acted well. After this success, the director is going to turn busier. I thank Dil Raju garu on this occasion," she added.

Producer M Suresh Varma said, "Looking at the reaction of the audience, I am speechless. I am very very happy. I, my younger brother Ajay and Swathi Reddy made the film believing in the strength of the subject. I want those who have not seen the movie to watch it. Payal acted brilliantly. Our dream would not have been realized but for Swathi. Ajay Bhupathi works like a monster. We are more than happy for his success. 'Dil' Raju garu spoke very well about our movie. Special thanks to him. Also, thanks to Shankar and Naveen of Shankar Films who have released Ceded and Andhra."

Payal Rajput said, "I did expect this movie to become a hit. I didn't think it would be such a big hit. I am very happy with our team. Ajay Bhupathi gave me the most challenging role in my life. 'RX 100' then and now 'Mangalavaaram'. I have proven those who wrote me off wrong with this success. I have proven that I can make wonders with the right director and story."

Cinematographer Dasaradhi Sivendra said, "Thanks to the audience for giving us such a big blockbuster. My phone has been ringing since yesterday."

Actors Laxman, Sritej, Shravan Reddy, Chaitanya Krishna and others associated with the thriller also graced the occasion.