Exclusive! Debutant director Pridhvi Pericharla's Sky is about loneliness as a tool for self-transformation

Sky, a coming-of-age Telugu drama, will introduce two new, young actors to Telugu cinema - Murali Krishnamraju and Sruthi Shetty. Interestingly, the film is also being directed by a first-time filmmaker Pridhvi Pericharla. Popular Youtuber Mahaboob Shaik, Donga Donga fame Anand and choreographer Rakesh play other important roles in the film which has cinematography by Rasool Ellore. The film will be edited by noted technician Suresh Urs. OTTplay.com caught up with Pridhvi to talk about Sky recently.

"The story is about a man who has lost everything in his life and has nothing to look forward to. When someone has no hope, all they do is to look above and seek inspiration from the sky, which is nothing but a representation of infinity. Loneliness is a phase that everyone has to face at some point in their lives and I've chosen to look at it positively. The phase can result in a lot of self-transformation and it changes a person for the better," director Pridhvi Pericharla shares.

Sky is based on a person who has been alone for a long time, how it takes a while for him to accept it and live in reality. Another reason behind titling it Sky is to facilitate the makers' plans of dubbing the film across all South Indian languages. "Yes, we feel the film has that universality to reach audiences across other languages too and I felt it was important to have a common title and ensure clarity."

Pridhvi had selected both of his lead actors Murali Krishnamraju and Shruti Shetty through an audition. "In the audition, I honestly felt Murali would represent the trajectory of a lonely character to perfection. While it's true that we spotted Shruti from her Instagram profile, I wanted a completely new look for the film and did an audition, look test to see if she would suit the part. Hence, her look in Sky is unlike anything you may have noticed in her images in the public."

Dubai-based Mahaboob Shaik (MS) and Anand have also been roped into play key roles in Sky. "In terms of comedy and the amount of mischief the character has to offer, I wanted to bring in a fresh face who'll look at it beyond the obvious and give his own spin. Mahaboob is very popular with his Youtube videos and we are convinced that he's a talent to watch out for. Meanwhile, Donga Donga actor Anand (garu) comes in with a lot of experience and adds depth to the film." 

Nagi Reddy Guntaka and Murali Krishnamraju are bankrolling the film under Valour Entertainment Studios. In addition to acting and production responsibilities, Murali Krishnamraju has co-written the dialogues along with Pridhvi Pericharla. Siva composes the music score.