With Naandhi, director Vijay Kanakamedala scored a blockbuster hit. Now the director once again has joined forces with his hero Allari Naresh for the soon-to-release action drama, Ugram. Produced by Sahu Garapati and Harish Peddi on Shine Screens banner and starring Malayalam actress Mirnaa Menon as the female lead, the film is slated for release on May 5. Vijay recently interacted with the media and talked about the film and may more things.

 

Talking about how Ugram story originated, he said "The Covid lockdown was announced after we had wrapped up the first schedule of Naandhi. I was sitting idle for over 6 months and that’s when I penned Ugram’s script. I felt Naresh garu would be apt for this story. He had portrayed emotional characters in the past, but never played a full-fledged ferocious character. He loved the story and felt that it would be a different experience for him. We did extensive research for 6 months and began working on Ugram after Naresh garu wrapped up Maredumilli Prajaneekam."

 

Answering why the missing backdrop story, he said "I had Ugram’s idea in my mind while I was working on Naandhi. I used to read news about missing cases frequently. That’s when I stumbled upon a news article where the Telangana High Court had asked the police department to submit a report on the serial missing cases. I felt a strong urge to narrate the plight of the families of those missing people."

 

Talking about the action in the film, he said "Ugram is more intense, massy and emotional than Naandhi. We had to incorporate action elements as we chose a police officer character in the story. Ugram is a very good action thriller. It has several new elements in it."

 

Talking about Mirnaa, he said "Ugram’s heroine will be seen in three different avatars of a college student, wife and a mother. I was impressed with her performances in her previous movies. We invited her for auditions and asked her to perform a few crucial scenes from Ugram’s script. She was brilliant in the audition and we immediately decided to sign her."

 

Talking about Naresh hard work, he said "He understood the seriousness and intensity of his character when I narrated Ugram’s script for the first time. His character doesn’t require a six-pack body, but he did workouts to sport a lean and fit physique. We also discussed his body language prior to the shooting and did rehearsals before filming action episodes."

 

Talking about the difference between Ugram and Naandhi, he said "Both Naandhi and Ugram are quite different from each other. While Naandhi was a courtroom drama, Ugram is an out-and-out action thriller which moves at a jet speed. I usually prefer penning hero-centric movies laced with social elements but narrated in a commercial manner.

 

Talking about his next projects, he said "I am currently working on a script for Naga Chaitanya. It is a very good social drama. He isn't impressed with final 20 minutes narration. Iam also doing my next film under this banner. I also have several story ideas in mind. I’ll talk about them at an appropriate time