On the sets of Amma Cheppindi
Cut to another scene post lunch. Chairs on the podium. Suhasini, Pawan Malhotra are present, along with another dhoti-clad gentleman who speaks from the rostrum. The mood is sombre.
"I scripted Amma Cheppindi about six years ago," says Gangaraju. "The casting was difficult and I couldn't get anyone to play the hero's role. I decided on Sharwanand after seeing him in Vennela. Pawan Malhotra was chosen because of the rapport we shared after he acted in Aithe (produced by Gangaraju). My wife Urmila (executive producer) thought Shriya Reddy would be perfect for the role of a character who looks good, yet tough."
The movie, he adds, "is about the relationship between mother and son, and the confidence the latter bestows on his mother." What inspired him to write it? "I was touched by the short story Flowers for Algernon, although my film bears no similarity to it," he replies.