Venu Yeldandi, who entered the industry as a comedian, built his career by playing small roles initially. He then gained popularity as a team leader in the ‘Jabardasth’ comedy show. Shifting gears to directing, Venu’s last year’s film ‘Balagam’ was a blockbuster success, set against a rural Telangana background and received critical acclaim. Naturally, all eyes were on Venu’s next project. However, a year after ‘Balagam’, the absence of a new project announcement from Venu sparked mixed reactions among fans. Amidst this, there’s a strong buzz that Venu has locked a project with a young hero.
Venu Directing Nithiin!
Venu Yeldandi had previously announced that his second film would be under the banner of producer Dil Raju, who also produced ‘Balagam’. The story for this second movie has been ready for a while, and Venu is expected to start production soon. It is rumored that he will be directing young hero Nithiin in his next film. Nithiin has reportedly agreed to the project after some changes were made to the story. If all goes well, the film is expected to start soon. The film, known as ‘Yellamma’, has also been registered as a title, generating buzz in Tollywood.
Nani, Teja Sajja Rejected!
Initially, there was significant buzz that Venu Yeldandi’s next project would feature Natural Star Nani. Venu had pitched the ‘Yellamma’ story to Nani, but he was reportedly not satisfied with the second half of the script. Venu stood by the story, leading to Nani’s withdrawal from the project. Subsequently, the story was pitched to Teja Sajja, who initially agreed, but this combination did not materialize due to unavoidable reasons. Finally, Venu presented the story to Nithiin, who gave his approval.
When Does Shooting Start?
Venu Yeldandi’s ‘Yellamma’ is set to start shooting in February next year. The announcement was made by producer Dil Raju during the pre-release event of ‘Janaka Ayithe Ganaka‘. Venu was also present at the event. As Venu approached the stage, Dil Raju from the audience asked about Yellamma’s start date. Venu humorously replied, “You are the master of all actions here; you tell us. I’m ready to start tomorrow if you say so.” To which Dil Raju clarified, “Let’s start in February.”
Awards Galore for ‘Balagam’
The film ‘Balagam‘, starring comedian Priyadarshi and Kavya Kalyanram, released on March 3 last year, without much initial hype but greatly attracted family audiences, especially from rural areas of Telangana. Special shows were even held in villages. This year in August, ‘Balagam’ won three Filmfare Awards, as well as one SIIMA and one Santosham Award, marking its critical and popular success.
