The film has a good story -- a nice fairy tale. One can watch the story unfold with good characters. It's the old fashioned classic story telling and the characters are those one can identify with. In that sense, it's a slice of life. The film has touching and sensitive events leading to a climax. It is a mix of the Iranian film (in terms of vast landscapes) and classic Telugu film, and will cater to all.

Sekhar Kammula is producing the film. You have been associated with Sekhar for almost close to a decade. How was he as a producer?

Sekhar is a dream producer. He is all that I wanted. He was a pillar of strength. There was no pressure from him as a producer.

Kamal Kamaraju has been cast by you as the main lead. You found a newcomer -- a Telugu girl Bindu Madhavi to star opposite Kamal. Why did you not want to cast established stars?

I made it clear that I did not want stars right from day one. Sekhar said I could try for stars but I wanted to have control over the actors. I have known Kamal from Godavari days (he played the second lead in Godavari). He played the main protagonist in Confessions... Moreover, Kamal has been associated with Avakkai Biryani since the inception stage.

I was clear I wanted a Telugu-speaking girl for the heroine and I chose Bindu Mandhavi, who used to model in Chennai. She is now settled in Hyderabad. She too was looking for an opportunity and I found her suitable. There are quite a few newcomers in the supporting cast too.

Also Read: Showcasing Vaaranam Aayiram

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