PremiumAbhai Naveen: Making Ramanna Youth, releasing it in theatres is itself a big success for me
The actor-director opens up on his upcoming political, rural comedy that releases on September 15
Last Updated: 12.57 PM, Dec 12, 2023
Abhai Naveen, the actor who rose to fame with films like Pelli Choopulu, Geetha Govindam, Saaho, Disco Raja, is turning a director with a political comedy titled Ramanna Youth, which hits screens across Telugu states this September 15. At the film’s pre-release event held on Monday, he told how fulfilling his dream of making a movie is a success for him more than anything else.
“This is the dream of a man who’s no longer with me; he was the only one who believed in me all along. I am a son of a Maths teacher in Siddipet and many questioned him on how, why he’s letting his son enter films,” he recalled. The film is the dream of his father-in-law, brother-in-law, his wife and other relatives, Abhai said. “My daughter was born exactly a week after it went on floors.”
If Ramanna Youth doesn’t do well, there will be a response like ‘Why did he have to burn his fingers?’ but I won’t care about them, the actor added. “Those who’ve come to this industry will always want to prove themselves through a film again.” He’s confident Ramanna Youth will make audiences and his loved ones proud. “Had anyone around me questioned my decision, it wouldn’t have materialised.”
The actor stated his tryst with cinema began with Priyadarshi, when he was doing a few dub-smash videos and the latter asked him to attend the audition of Pelli Choopulu. People may not remember my name today but call me Eucalyptus (of Pelli Choopulu), he added. “I also met Thiruveer, one of my favourite actors, on Bommala Ramaram sets. Both have always encouraged me since the beginning.”
He thanked his producer AAR for trusting him without hearing the script. He labelled his direction team, the lightmen as the unsung heroes of the film. Abhai thanked Vishwak for responding to his invitation to attend the event immediately and he was an honest, invaluable voice for the film. “I had a dream to make a film, fulfilled it and am now releasing it; that’s a success. It’s now in the hands of audiences.”