Everyone remembers the movie “Chennakesava Reddy“, directed by VV Vinayak and starring Balakrishna. Director, who delivered a blockbuster with “Aadi”, teamed up with Balakrishna, known for faction films, creating high expectations for “Chennakesava Reddy”. It performed decently at the box office, though it didn’t break any all-time records. Some scenes from the movie still remain memorable for the audience.
Let’s take a look at some interesting facts about the film:
1. After “Aadi” became a super hit, director Vinayak received offers from many producers. However, he wanted to make another film with producer Bellamkonda Suresh, who had given him his first opportunity, so that Suresh could earn profits. At the time, Bellamkonda Suresh had Balakrishna’s dates are available, and the project quickly fell into place.
2. Vinayak had actually written the story of “Chennakesava Reddy” before “Aadi”. However, when Vinayak got the chance to work with NTR, he reworked the same story with different elements for “Aadi”.
3. It’s known that Kamal Haasan’s film “Khaidi Veta” was also an inspiration for the storyline of “Chennakesava Reddy”.
4. Soundarya was initially considered for the role that eventually went to Tabu in “Chennakesava Reddy”. When Soundarya declined, the role was offered to Tabu.
5. The sister’s role in this movie was very important. Laya was first approached for the part, but she felt emotional and said, “We are heroines, not just sisters. Why are we always offered these roles?” Vinayak understood her point and moved on.
6. For faction stories, writer Paruchuri Gopala Krishna was top pick at the time. However, for “Chennakesava Reddy”, his brother Paruchuri Venkateswara Rao did most of the writing. Vinayak once said that if Gopalakrishna had written the film, the outcome might have been different.
7. There is a helicopter scene in the movie, and Balakrishna does it himself without using a stunt double.
8. In one scene, a Sumo car is shown rising from the ground. Since the technology was limited at the time, the scene was filmed practically.
9. The shooting of “Chennakesava Reddy” took 67 days, with the entire movie being completed in 70 days.
10. At the time, this was the highest-budget film in Balakrishna’s career, and the theatrical business was also big.
11. “Chennakesava Reddy” was released on September 25, 2002, and the film ran for 50 days in 158 centers (a record at the time) and 100 days in 38 centers.
At the box office, the movie earned a share of Rs. 16 crores, and its re-release also performed well.
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