RGV's 'Mission Clean Shave' with KKK

With his 'KSD Appalraju' and 'Dongala Muta', maverick filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma pulled producer KKK aka Kiran Kumar Koneru on to roads. As per Film Nagar talks, the producer has almost sold out many of his assets in posh areas of Hyderabad to make a living. However, innocent producers always fall flat for a tricky director as per Industry history. This seems true and Kiran Kumar is again behind RGV's new venture in Bollywood, as per sources. After Telugu audience kicked him out due to the unworthy and vague flicks he made, RGV went back to Mumbai again to torture Hindi audience. To start off his second innings in Hindi Cinema, he announced a flick titled 'A Love Story' with sexy actress Mahi Gill in the lead. Though the producer is looking like a strong man outside, insiders revealed that RGV might clean shave him with this venture. Only time will decide if KKK will be bailed out of debts or will he be a scape goat in RGV's 'Mission Clean Shave'.

'Piracy' Rocket @ Popular Film Lab

Piracy ghost has its wings sprawled across the Telugu Film Industry, pushing many producers into unrecoverable losses. Earlier, piracy of newly released to movies is said to be done overseas after which a copy is sent to India via internet. Now, this ghost has its gang operating in the heart of Film Nagar, as per reports. This Film-Studio has all the latest facilitates from production to post-production and plays a major role in Telugu Cinema Industry's productions. A rumor is doing rounds in Film Nagar that a 'piracy rocket' is on a spree at the Film Printing Lab of this studio. Prior to a film's release, its pirated version is getting recorded on the hard-disk of a HD camera when the first copy of it is getting printed. Recently released RGV's 'Dongala Muta' and Charmi's 'Mangala' are the victims of this 'ghost' in the heart of Tinsel town. It is also heard that many big-wigs are involved in this racket, which earns crores of rupees when a new movie is released.

First Cheque In Charmy's 'Back Pocket'

Despite possessing fine talent and an immense sex appeal with oomph, Charmy has not been able to make her mark in the recent past after having a good take off in her career.

However, it appears that she is in for a comeback and that too in a strong manner. This is the talk after watching her in the latest release ‘Dongala Mutha’.

Sources say that after the business is done and recovery is made, the first cheque of the profits would be given to Charmy. It is heard that this is director Ramgopal Varma’s idea as he feels that her butt show was quite useful for the cinema’s success.

Charmee is already gearing up for her Bollywood debut with Puri Jagannadh’s film and those who saw ‘Dongala Mutha’ say “Thanks to Charmy’s butt, whatever disappointments we had they got covered. But if she had got into some cleavage show like one of her earlier movies, this film would have rocked big time.” Is Charmy reading this??

Prakash Raj Became Pregnant (!)

In one of the many cinemas that he did, actor Prakashraj said a dialogue “Magadu kadupu teesukuravali kaani kadupu techchukokudadhu” referring to a man’s tummy. While that dialogue makes complete sense, it appears that our man seems to have not been following it off-screen.

Apparently, this was the talk in the theatres from the audience when they saw Prakash Raj in the film ‘Dongala Mutha’. Sporting the outfit of a cop, Prakash was showing prosperity as his tummy was protruding visibly. Usually known for his fit personality, this shape of Prakashraj took many by surprise.

Some of them were saying with a naughty smile “Maybe this is the after marriage effect for Prakash. Going by his own dialogues, instead of his wife Pony getting it, Prakashraj seems to have got the stomach and is looking like a pregnant man “. 

'Dongala Mutha' Review: Just For RGV Fans

Rating: 2.5/5Banner: Shreya Productions
Cast: Ravi Teja, Charmee, Prakashraj, Lakshmi Manchu, Subbaraju, Sunil, Brahmanandam, Brahmaji
Music: Sathyam (theme song)
Lyrics: Sira Sri
Cinematography, Editing: FX School and VFX
Story, screenplay, direction: Ramgopal Varma
Producer: Kiran Kumar Koneru
Release date: 18/03/2011

Ramgopal Varma’s unique attempt towards film making which can transform the economics of Indian cinema has finally arrived. Let us see how good this is.

Story:
Sudhir (Ravi Teja) and Rani (Charmee) are married couple whose car faces a problem and nearby, they see a resort. On entering there, both of them come across unusual staff with unusual names (Subbaraju, Supreet, Brahmaji).

Not liking the atmosphere and the behavior they decide to leave the place. However, a situation leads them to discover that the staff is not real but a bunch of thieves who actually kidnap a businessman (Brahmi).

While Sudhir, Rani try to escape the story takes a twist with the arrival of Shiva (Lakshmi Manchu) and her assistant Richard (Sunil) who claim to be thieves as well. What happens after that forms the rest of the story.

Performances:
Ravi Teja has come up with a decent act. However, he has a mild body language and minimal energy levels in this one and this may not go well for his fans.

Charmee looks naturally seductive and she does her bit aptly. The impressive thing about her is the diction in Telugu which has come out flawlessly from her. She can start dubbing for her own voice from now on.

Lakshmi Manchu looks cute and even cuter is her Telugu. Performance wise, she is neat and made her presence felt.

Prakashraj was consistent, nothing different from him. Subbaraju was effective, Supreeth brought few smiles, Brahmanandam was usual and did his bit as required. Brahmaji was unique with his body posture. Sunil was literally silent.  

Highlights:

• The making of the film with Canon 5D cameras
• Theme song
• Charmee and Lakshmi Manchu’s sensuous appeal

Drawbacks:

• No storyline
• Fickle comedy in second half

Analysis:
First things first, Ramgopal Varma must be appreciated for his self conviction in thoughts and beliefs. The very idea of coming up with a film in barely 5-6 days and that too with a paltry budget is commendable. Added to that, the making is technically efficient and it is on par with the regular mainstream cinema.

However, what Ramu must realize is audience is choosy and when a brand like him is coming up with a project, the level of expectation is high. While the experimental thought is acknowledged, Ramu should also realize that there is an aspect of entertainment, content required to give the audience their money’s worth.

The first half of the film is packed up with patience-testing monotonous scenes. Ravi Teja walking from room to reception and reception to room loosens grip on audience. And second half introduces many good artistes like Lakshmi Manchu, Prakash Raj, Brahmanandam and Sunil but the director failed to extract what the audiences expect from them.

Overall, the team must be appreciated for their efforts and the cast for their convincing performances despite a hollow script. At the same time, this is not a film meant for the regular audience or those who seek formula films.

Bottomline: Variety attempt that appeals only for RGV fans 

Dongala Muta Trailer - 1

Video:Raviteja on RGV and Dongala Mutha - Part 3

Video:Raviteja on RGV and Dongala Mutha - Part 1

I made Dongalamutaa to prove a point: RGV

Ramgopal Varma is one director whom people might love or hate but can't ignore. Perhaps it is because of the new trends he creates and the paths he breaks. Now by making a film in record number of four and a half days and that too with a Cannon 5D still camera that costs less than Rs 75,000, he has shocked the industry. While in the rest of the movies, about 150 crew members are needed, Varma used just 7  member crew to make this movie. Besides, none of the camera operators ever did a film before this.The movie was shot in day light without using artificial lights. The post-production editing of this movie was completed in a record number of seven days. The background score setting, colour correction and other post-production work was done not in hi-fi studios but in small hotel rooms in the city. Also, actors and technicians didn't charge even a single rupee to act in this movie. Their remuneration will be shared from the collections of the movie and hence the movie had zero budget. Varma who directed this innovative project says by making a film with Cannon 5D, he has set a trend for amatuer film makers to make movies. "Anyone who wants to direct a film needs imagination, creativity and ability to narrate a story well. I might have got a easy oppurtunity as my dad used to work for Annapurna studios and I got to narrate my Shiva story to Nagarjuna. People in remote towns too can now make a movie with such cameras. By using Cannon 5D anyone can make a film anywhere without anyone's support. It has democraticed the process of making a movie. We just wanted to prove that movies can be made with such less cost in such short span of time with such technology" RGV said.

Hats Off To Ravi Teja For 'Mass Digital Call'

Mass Maharaja Ravi Teja has given a ‘mass call’ for all the aspiring directors today. He says that he is ready to give dates to act if anybody impresses him with an idea making a short clip or a few scenes using a ‘digital camera’.  He made this call after getting excitement and enlightenment by acting in RGV’s ‘Dongala Mutha’ that was made in shocking Rs 6 lakh budget.

“The aspiring director can be a railway coolie or a farmer. He can be in any town or any remote village. All that he has to do is make a film using a digital camera and approach me. If I like the idea, I’ll take care of the rest. The details of how to approach me will be announced soon”, is the note by Ravi Teja.

Well, RGV revolutionized the idea of film making with Dongala Mutha and Ravi Teja, the top star of Tollywood endorsing that to this level is pumping in huge oxygen for it. Many are saluting Ravi Teja saying ‘hats off’ for piloting this revolutionary idea. Let us see how many makers will come up.

Single show will recover Dongala Mutha's cost'

Ram Gopal Varma said that he would get the money back even if Dongala Mutharuns for a single show in theaters. Talking to reporters after the promos and making videos of his forthcoming movie, Dongala Mutha, were shown to the media and Tollywood celebrities at Cinemax multiplex, he revealed the technical aspects of the movie. The film was shot Canon 5D SLR Cameras in just 5 days. “The entire cost included for shooting the movie with these cameras is about Rs 6 Lakhs. So if my film runs for a show in theaters, our cost will be recovered,” RGV said.

Hero Ravi Teja, Srinu Vytla, RP Patnaik, Harish Shankar, TV9 CEO Ravi Prakash, and other celebrities saw the trailers and making of the movie. 

The film stars Ravi Teja, Charmee, Lakshmi Prasanna, Brahmanandam and Subbaraju as the main cast and the movie was shot by 5 cameramen.

“I might have made bad films in my career but even my flopped movies were appreciated for its technical values. So, I wanted to experiment with this new technology now. When I used Steady Cam for Shiva, everyone was skeptical about it. After the release, seven more Steady Cams were brought in. Now I have used these Canon 5D cameras to minimize the production cost. We shot the movie with five cameras that enabled us to use five different angles of same shot in real time. Also no use of artificial light reduced the number of days. These cameras give best output in natural light,” RGV explained.

Watch RGV's 'DONGALA MUTHA' Song

Ram Gopal Varma’s upcoming film ‘Dongala Mutha’ started making noise today (11th March 2011). In a gala Press Meet Ram Gopal Varma released the promotion song of the film in which Ravi Teja, Charmy, Lakshmi Manchu, Sunil, Subba Raju, Brahmaji, Prakash Raj, Brahmanandam and Supreet have danced to the tune.

‘Mirapakay’ fame Harish Shankar directed this song at the famous shooting spot, Aluminium Factory in Gachchibowili in just half a day.

This song was written by SiraSri and composed by Satyam of ‘Deyyam’ fame.

'DM' Decides Charmy’s Fate

RGV’s Dongala Mutha is all set to release on 18th of March. Charmy played lead heroine in that while Ravi Teja is the lead hero. It’s a thriller comedy on the lines of ‘Anaganaga Oka Roju’ and Charmy has crossed her fingers for this.

She entered filmdom as heroine and reached top notch in short time. She has also become the darling of many hearts for her voluptuous figure and romantic looks. With Mantra she became very popular for pulling crowds without even a hero. But her graph dropped down eventually. She has seen many flops and her recent film ‘Mangala’ also didn’t help her much. .

If Dongala Mutha works then ok. Otherwise Charmy’s career may get restricted to item songs and cameo roles.

'Dongala Mutha'- New Sense Or Nuisance?

Speaking about news related to colleges, you may have read about science fairs and experiments like lights flashing with snap of a finger, water pumping without electricity etc. There will be those like Ramar Pillai who came up with the concept of ‘Herbal Fuel’. Now all these sensations are limited to news and it is over. Right now, the situation seems to be the same with the new movie ‘Dongala Mutha’.

The question is – whether it creates a new sense or will it be just nuisance? The concept of ‘Dongala Mutha’ can well spark a revolution in cinema history if all goes well. But then, what are the parameters for that? Can it be called a super hit? Because there is no budget component involved, it won’t work if you say the film made one or two crores. The cinema must collect 20 cr plus then it is creating a history.

There needs to be an era – before ‘Dongala Mutha’ and ‘After Dongala Mutha’, in Tollywood history to say that this film will create a new sense. A film which is literally made on zero budget, zero remuneration and relying solely on profits sure sounds appealing but it must meet at least one of the mentioned criteria to create the new sense.

The flip side is, RGV is known for his absolute debacles like ‘RGV Ki Aag’ ‘Agyaat’ and these were more or less concept films which failed to see the light at the box office right on the release day. Will ‘Dongala Mutha’ also go to shed and join them or whether it will create a sensation is the ongoing confusion.

The good side is, it has enough star power and branded technicians to create the right kind of hype. Then there is the unique feature of shooting it in just five days flat which raises the curiosity. Above all, there is the RGV brand factor known for his unconventional cinemas. Looking at all this, the maverick movie maker might well be on the crossroads which can lead him to be the man of the moment or a regular eccentric.

Let us wait and see…

RGV Created History Today

As announced before the start of the project, Dongala Mutha has completed right on schedule, that is, in just 5 days with a crew of only 8 people including the director. Also, unlike some people believe, this film has not been shot on a 24 hour basis. It’s been shot on plain normal shifts that is from 9 am to 6 pm without a single shift being extended.

This opens new doors and to a new approach towards filmmaking and shows all concerned in the industry what it could never even dreamt have possible.

The speed of the shoot is attributed to the unique structure of the production process - 4 Canon cameras were used to capture every shot in multiple angles simultaneously, with absolutely no lights or additional equipment such as dollys, jibs etc. The entire film has been shot hand-held and in natural light.

The film stars Ravi Teja, Charmi, Prakash Raj, Laxmi Manchu, Brahmanandam, Subbaraju, Brahmaji, & Supreet. Adding to its list of first-times in the industry is the fact that the entire film is being made on a zero budget. None of the cast or technicians are being paid any monetary remuneration. Their payments will come only from the profits of the film.

Using digital technology to its maximum, the film is racing through its post-production and will be ready for theatrical release on 4th March 2011, that is in just 23 days from day 1 of the shoot.

In here, we are releasing some of the production stills of Dongala Mutha.

'Dongala Mutha'- A Copy From Hollywood Flick

Ram Gopal Varma is usually known for his original ideas though some of them are inspirations from Hollywood. This time, the buzz is about his new movie ‘Dongala Mutha’ and going by what Ramu says, if it gets executed like that then it sure will rewrite the history of film making.

For now, it is heard that ‘Dongala Mutha’ is basically a copy. Most of the film will be happening inside a home and it is heard that the inspiration for that has come from the scary Hollywood thriller ‘Paranormal Activity’ which is directed by Oren Peli.

The mystery is, whether Ramu will induce a horror element in this or cook up a regular thriller like his ‘Kaun’. If it’s a copy of ‘Paranormal Activity’ then what form of nativity elements will be included for the Telugu audience to connect is another question. Some other say that it is going to be an out and out comedy thriller. We have to wait and see what it is actually.

Top Director’s ‘Dabba’ Business On Twitter

By now, it is more or less understood by many that Ram Gopal Varma is not only a man who knows his craft but is also good at pushing it in the market. True to his skills, he seems to have found an effective way of scooping up resources for his projects and that too with minimum efforts. 

Apparently, Ramu has been working on the Twitter network and using it for his business. Usually, he praises the celebs those he wants and traps them. Given his prowess with words and the way he stitches them, the lines are captivating and tends to appeal to the readers and also those about whom it is written.

Meanwhile, his ‘Dabba’ (praising) formula seems to be working out and Lakshmi Manchu is a good example for that who joined as an artiste in his ‘Dongala Mutha’. Some are also saying that maybe Chiranjeevi is also a future target for Ramu given the way the megastar is being pumped through Ramu’s tweets.

Allu's 'QUBES' To Gang Of Thieves

Though the Allu family is famous in the Tollywood circuit, not many may have heard of Allu Venkatesh. Well, he happens to be the eldest son of Allu Aravind and is fondly known as Bobby among his circles. Now, Allu Venkatesh is the CEO of Qube systems, a company which deals with the Qube technology of film streaming.

Now, it is heard that Allu Venkatesh has taken the onus of screening the film ‘Dongal Mutha’ which is directed by Ram Gopal Varma. Incidentally, the film is being made in the Qube format and it is heard that there are a total of 160 theatres in Andhra Pradesh which have adopted the Qube technology.

The talk is that Qube systems have got a tremendous control over these theatres and so, Dongala Mutha would be promoted to the fullest through this theatre network. The film is likely to arrive in the month of March so keep watching this space for further details.

Puri And Harish Shankar @ ‘Dongala Mutha’

It is known news that Ram Gopal Varma is all set to take off with a rather unusual yet sensational project. This is the film ‘Dongala Mutha’ which will be made in a record breaking 5 days and that too with just 8 crew members. Now, the update is that 2 out of the 8 have been confirmed.

First in the list is Puri Jagannadh and it is heard that he would be the co-director for Ramu in the film and secondly, it would be Harish Shankar of ‘Mirapakaya’ fame who will be donning the role of an associate director. The remaining 6 are yet to be confirmed.

This is a historical feat and it is heard that there is huge competition for the remaining six posts. Inside talk is that on the sets, there will be only 8 technicians excluding Ram Gopal Varma. Now that Puri and Harish are in the team, all eyes are now on who is going to be the chosen six for this historical project.