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A s one steps into the college, one gets the feel of a festive atmosphere as the students are in a revelry mood singing and dancing on the huge campus grounds and lawn. You wonder whether the curriculum has been changed to a new method of teaching as you spot elderly men watch the ‘tamasha' sporting a smile. Since it is a college campus, we expect to see academicians. Soon we realise spotting the reflectors, the crane and the trolleys and other paraphernalia that it is a film shoot. At the Vardhaman College of Engineering, academician-turned-producer G. Nagaiah and his G.P. Siddhardh Film Academy unit are shooting a song sequence for Badmash starring newcomers Naga Siddhardha and Ekta in the lead. Interestingly, the campus love story is directed by ‘Vandemataram' Srinivas. Taking the mantle of a director for the first time, the popular singer and music director in the company of the young actors is charged with youthful exuberance as he guides them to place the steps in unison with the rhythmic melodic beat he had created at the recording studios, earlier. Looking at the performance of the lead players — Naga Siddhardha and Ekta — one gets the feeling that their on-screen chemistry is going to work well for the movie. Incidentally, producer Dr. Nagaiah has a Ph.D in chemistry and worked as a Principal of Siddhardh P.G. College in Hyderabad. Passion towards films drew him to the celluloid world. He roped in long time friend Srinivas to wield the megaphone. The duo finally zeroed in on a mass subject (story: P.V. Giri) dealing with student psychology. Naga Siddhardha plays the title role, Avinash, otherwise known in the locality as Badmash. “It is a mass character. This badmash is not a rogue. Generally when some one does a mischievous act, elders in an affectionate note tell him not to do such badmashee. He is one such guy and his acts are misconstrued as badmashee. Watch him on the large screen and you will love him,” smiles Dr. Nagaiah. Watching the ‘students' perform the song number, he tells you that one can find real college incidents and behaviour hitherto unseen in Telugu cinema. A romantic fun loving guy like any other youth of his age, the hero has a goal too — to bring in a sea change in the conventional system of teaching that is becoming more a burden on the student rather than helping him out. How he makes his point convincingly to both the parents and the academicians is the focal point. It also leaves a message ‘not to pester the children, make them read.' Instead of bringing out the creative talents in the students to the fore, the present system of education is producing them en masse. With all this it is a well packaged mass entertainer.” The focus shifts to the song and the tune sounds fresh and peppy. “Mark my word, ‘Vandemataram' Srinivas's music from our film will be the chartbuster in 2010. I mean all the six songs from the film are going to be a hit,” says the confident producer. After completing the talkie part the unit is now filming the songs and this is the first of the lot. “This song will be shot in other locations — Siddhardh Institute of Technology, CVSR College and Pragathi Engineering College and we plan to shoot three songs in Philippines, Hong Kong and Bangkok.” Chandramohan, Suman, M.S. Narayana, Venumadhav and Dharmavarapu are in the cast. The film is slated for an April release. Movie Stills |