Chiranjeevi - The Megastar of Telugu Cinema

[piyaara]

  News of any recent projects of Chiru have been overshadowed or perhaps even ignored since October by Sreeji(Sriji)'s wedding to boyfriend Shiresh.  Let's start at the beginning, with an article published on Cinesouth on 18th October:

 
"Just when the Megastar's family was celebrating the successful debut of Ramcharan in films, they have a sudden crisis to deal with- the second daughter Sreeja had secretly got married to her long-time boyfriend Shirish Bharadwaj in Hyderabad.

The wedding was performed according to the Arya Samaj customs.

The wedding ceremony was broadcasted on local satellite TV channels. Sreeja, aged 19, says that she had been in love with Shirish for about 4 years now. Both had met each other though common friends. She had run away from home early yesterday, the 17th of October and had got married.

 Though the wedding card was printed with Shirish's parents' name, it turns out that they weren't aware of the marriage either. His father happens to be an advocate. He fears that his parents aren't going to like the marriage due to caste differences. Sreeja has sought media intervention because she says that she has reasons to believe that her family might put lot of pressure and create problems for the young couple.

 Obviously, the marriage was performed without Chiranjeevi's consent either. It remains to be seen if Chiranjeevi accepts this wedding and gives his blessing to the couple."

 

...and from 12th November:


 "The couple had been living in Delhi ever since they got married. They have now returned to Hyderabad amidst "secrecy". Though they tried to keep the news under wraps because they "feared their own safety" and "were afraid that the fans of Chiranjeevi and Pawan Kalyan might attack them", somehow media persons got the information about their arrival and had turned up at the Hyderabad airport to get pictures of the young couple.

 Both seemed very happy in each other's company.

 They were ushered out of the airport but popped up again in the midst of popping camera-flashbulbs at their newly acquired apartment in the city.

 Chiranjeevi and his family members were conspicuous with their absence.

 Many believe that the couple's publicized arrival in Hyderabad is part of its attempts to stay in the limelight for as long as possible."

 ...and from today, 27th November:

 "There is something so baffling about Chiranjeevi's second son-in-law, Sirish. The question on everybody's minds continues to be- where is this man, without a job or without any big family backing, getting all the money from?

 Recently, the couple bought themselves a Rs 1 Crore worth apartment in the heart of Hyderabad to start their new life as man and wife. Now, talks are on that Sirish is seriously toying with the idea of starting a software company!

 For a long time everybody was speculating about the possible honeymoon destination for the young couple, but it looks as if Sirish and Srija are more interested in setting up their home instead of rushing out for a honeymoon. Though it has been a while since they had returned to Hyderabad, the Megastar remains firm on his decision to stay as far away from them as possible."

 
 Anyway...moving along:


 "Megastar Chiranjeevi has waited long enough for the Srija-Sirish wedding and their after effects to fade away from the public's mind. He is now planning something spectacular.
 
 Chiranjeevi isn't the kind that enjoys sympathy wave. So, when all the drama created by his daughter and new son-in-law hit the peak, the Megastar decided that the best step would be to leave the city for a while and take a much-deserved break. He went to Chennai and spent some time with his close friend Rajinikanth and is now back.

 He is now back in Hyderabad with plans of a new film. Initially, he wanted to work with VV Vinayak. But he has now changed his plans.

 The new film will most likely be with Gunashekar.

 Probably inspired by his friend Rajinikanth, the film is going to have a big budget of atleast Rs 35 Crores. Nothing more is known about this project, but it is going to be something astronomical."

cinesouth


  Keep on trucking, Chiru!

[chiru]

Hi Giselle/  Genelia,

If you'd like to chk chiru alternative movies , ie othe than action flicks u could see
comedy:
chantabbai .(1986), it was a super hit at that time , sudden change of
role from a dushum-dishum roles to goofy spoof on Bond et al.

[Genelia]

Hi, Chiru fan!  Thanks for the tip.  I have seen Chantabbai, actually!  I really enjoyed it, even though the version I saw had no subtitles (ah, the curse of a non-Telugu-speaking Chiranjeevi fan ...).  Always great seeing Chiranjeevi NOT playing the *shock* Omnipotent Action Hero *awe*  Plus, Suhasini plays the female lead, although it's definitely not one of her best roles. 

I rented it eons ago, but I managed to rip my favorite song from the video:
Chantabbai - Nena Prema Pujari: http://youtube.com/watch?v=o0nVC_RtYu8

Enjoy! The drag outfit is priceless.  And it's high time for me to post a new Chiranjeevi review ...

[chiru]

Hi, Chiru fan!  Thanks for the tip.  I have seen Chantabbai, actually!  I really enjoyed it, even though the version I saw had no subtitles (ah, the curse of a non-Telugu-speaking Chiranjeevi fan ...).  Always great seeing Chiranjeevi NOT playing the *shock* Omnipotent Action Hero *awe*  Plus, Suhasini plays the female lead, although it's definitely not one of her best roles. 

I rented it eons ago, but I managed to rip my favorite song from the video:
Chantabbai - Nena Prema Pujari: http://youtube.com/watch?v=o0nVC_RtYu8

Enjoy! The drag outfit is priceless.  And it's high time for me to post a new Chiranjeevi review ...

hmm..how about "Rowdy Alludu(1991)" , its comedy too(well maybe comedy/drama), kindof , it has some good melodious songs , and funny act by chiru.
then...Mugguru Monagallu(94)...triple bonus, chiru plays 3 roles in a typical bollywood style "kiddies separated at birth ...then rejoined at THE END" kind of storyline.
(the kids grow up to be be identical !!!! ).

[Genelia]

hmm..how about "Rowdy Alludu(1991)" , its comedy too(well maybe comedy/drama), kindof , it has some good melodious songs , and funny act by chiru.

Thanks for the tip!  iTalkies has Rowdy Alludu, so I'll watch that next. Speaking of which, after enduring months of my increasingly insistent e-mails, iTalkies has finally buckled to my demands and purchased more Chiranjeevi movies ... with SUBTITLES!  I greedily snapped up Attaku Yamudu Ammayiki Mogudu, an '80s superhit co-starring the always-compelling Vijayashanti.

Attaku Yamudu Ammayiki Mogudu (1989)
(Chiranjeevi, Vijayashanti, Vanisree)

In AYAM, Chiranjeevi (poor+good) and Vijayashanti (rich+good) are in love. Vijayashanti's mom (rich+evil) is a control freak who rules her brood with an iron fist.   After marrying into their unhappy family, Chiranjeevi vows to show his mother-in-law the danger of her ways.  As she plots against him, two impostors in the house are plotting against her. Chiru proceeds to vanquish baddies, re-unite the family, rescue cats from trees, etc., etc.

Clothes ... blinding ...


The plot is slight but engaging, with Chiranjeevi cheerily outsmarting his cruel in-law's schemes and endless hordes of rowdies. The cute romantic and comedic elements take a backseat to the action, which is unfortunate because the action sequences are egregiously egregious. Honorable mention for the sequence where our hero drags his mother-in-law to safety using his foot, and whatever the heck is going on here.

Fighting the good fight against men with cardboard tubes


Chiranjeevi does not get to do any heavy lifting acting-wise, but he's still a charmer, especially in his lighter scenes.  Despite looking absolutely gorgeous Vijayashanti has little scope, which is too bad because she really excels in bolder roles.  Still, just seeing Chiru with an age-appropriate heroine is worth the price of admission. Vanisree, playing the evil mom, gets a lot of camera time.  Apparently she was a top Telugu heroine who quit films after marriage, making her comeback 10 years later in this mother role.

Foxy Vijayashanti as a lady warden


The most memorable thing about this movie is undoubtedly the song picturizations. The tunes are fairly catchy, but the late-'80s fashion train wrecks will make your eyeballs fall out.  BEHOLD below! Unfortunately (and shockingly) the dancing is sorta ... lame.  Of course, Chiranjeevi can dance like Zeus, but even Zeus looks dorky when he's gyrating to Debbie Gibson-style choreography.  Sigh.  Still, there's much fun to be had, especially when Chiru and Vijayashanti dress up like a pleather-clad prisoner and tough lady warden for the toe-tappin' "Shanti."

Barbie left, bumblebee right


Red Vs. Blue


Overall, it's an enjoyable timepass, and recommended for fans of Chiru, fans of Vijayashanti, or any frustrated sons-in-law.

Footnote:  I've seen reports that Chiranjeevi is planning to enter politics, which is just a dandy idea -- look how well that worked out for Amitabh and Rajnikanth!  Other than his awe-inspiring awesomeness, I can't think of a single qualification he has for higher office. Chiru, don't do it!  Think of your fans! Are there any older South Indian heroes that HAVEN'T entered politics?

Songs (with subtitles, of course)
Attaku Yamudu Amayiki Mogudu - Kalalo Pattani Mudulu http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcNYz0-F-is
Attaku Yamudu Ammayiki Mogudu - Dingu Ranga http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aTVmqZmY8k
Attaku Yamudu Ammayiki Mogudu - Shanti Om Shanti http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEtxekXGDcQ
Attaku Yamudu Ammayiki Mogudu - Merupulu Adatta http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LWEY7c29RU
Athaku Yamudu Amayiki Mogudu - Dhigu Dhigu Dhigu Bhama http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r86XYgTWmCU

[mainhoonemily]

Genelia, I watched Indra a few weeks ago based solely on your recommendation earlier in this thread and loved it!  Chiranjeevi isn't at all the sort of guy I would have ever thought I'd be watching as the hero of a movie but after awhile I forgot about the mustache and not-terribly-chiseled form and was charmed by him.

Indra as a movie is a trip...by the end I was almost falling out of my chair with laughter whenever the villain came on the screen.  He was over the top even by Bollywood standards!  And that song with Sonali where she's pursuing him and he's lecturing her on morality was hilarious as was the inconclusive ending with both girls fighting over poor Indra, who shrugs off romantic attachments and goes out to meet "his people" instead of choosing.

[Genelia]

Hey Emily, I'm glad you enjoyed Indra.  It was one of the first Indian movies I saw, and I still think it's a good example of solid masala-genre filmmaking.  I mean, yeah, it has a few WTF bits, such as when young Indra summons lightning by slapping his thigh ...



... buy hey, that's entertainment!

And the ending was ... different, but I liked it.  Chiranjeevi is awesome as all get out, but I still get skeeved out seeing him romance starlets.  Indra's not about love, man -- he's for the people!

[chiru]

hi genelia,  did u finally get to see rowdy alludu , waiting for your review on it !!

[piyaara]

 Ok, sit down and take a stiff drink.  Put your feet up and prepare yourself:


Chiru is to make a new film!!!
 
 Stay sitting down, rather than jumping around the room like a mad man/woman/hermaphrodite because, this news is sort of speculation at the moment.  Well, it's via GreaterAndhra who tend to be slightly gossip-orientated.

 Apparently, 'da man' is planning to remake A Wednesday in Telugu.  He is to play Naseeruddin Shah's role and Srihari is to play the role of Anupam Kher.


 Only time will tell...

[wannabe]

Right now Chiranjeevi is touring the state, trying to drum up support for his new political party, and sounding, I'm sorry to say, like every other politician.   

I have yet to see A Wednesday, but I wonder if he will "Telugu-ize" it in any way, to tie it to the huge problem of Naxalites in Andhra Pradesh. 

[piyaara]

 I notice that he is in possible merger talks with the NTP.  Though he also seems interested in forging political alliances with other pro-Telangana parties, like the TRS.  The issue of a separate Telangana seems to be the dominant subject at the moment, well, other than terrorism, which the above-mentioned article felt Chiru may like to tackle via film.

 I think it's unlikely but not impossible, since I thought he wanted his son, Ram Charan to take over the...'family business.'

 While this is off-topic, what are the chances of a non-Telugu speaker understanding a film set "against a Telangana backdrop?"

 Bathukamma despite it's blurb stating that it does not "speak of separate telangana state or any political issue," became a moderate hit probably because of it's subject matter.  It looks like a rather nice story of a village girl going about her life.  Hmmmm....

 Bathukamma DVD.

 

[Prem Rogue]

Scene from Indra with on-set dialogue before dubbing and re-recording

You can hear Aarti Agarwal and Sonali Bendre speaking their lines themselves before being dubbed over in the final film.  You can also hear someone feeding them their lines.  Interesting stuff.

[piyaara]

 I would have thought the 'feeding' would have been a major distraction but, like you said it is interesting to see the process of film-making.

 There was something missing: the dramatic music and 'finger-swishing' noises during key-points in the scene.  How can a hero be taken seriously without them? 



 And Ram Charan is called..."Cherry?"  Hmmm....

[wannabe]

I notice that he is in possible merger talks with the NTP.  Though he also seems interested in forging political alliances with other pro-Telangana parties, like the TRS.  The issue of a separate Telangana seems to be the dominant subject at the moment, well, other than terrorism, which the above-mentioned article felt Chiru may like to tackle via film.

The issue of a separate Telangana has been in the works for more than 40 years.  It always becomes dominant just before an election.    The present CM was elected on a campaign promise of ensuring a separate Telangana, which he promptly backtracked on once in office, at the behest of Sonia Gandhi.  Chiru is playing it coy and safe, not committing himself one way or another, which is a smart if boring move.

 

While this is off-topic, what are the chances of a non-Telugu speaker understanding a film set "against a Telangana backdrop?"

Sorry, meant to respond to this some time earlier, but forgot.  I don't see that being a Telugu speaker would make much difference to understanding the Telangana backdrop.  Depending on the film's subject, a lot of historical/political knowledge might be assumed on the part of the viewer, which can easily be learned by the non Telugu speaker. OTOH, if the issue is just used to allow for a lot of revenge oriented drama, the history hardly matters.  The only way I can think of that a non-Telugu speaker might miss important clues is in the dialect and accent used by characters who are supposed to be from
Telangana.  The Telangana dialect of Telugu is very unique and distinct and immediately identifiable.  Thus, for example, a character might be introduced, who, in his/her first lines will immediately give away that he is from Telangana, without anyone having to say so.  The viewer dependent on subtitles might completely miss this important information.

[piyaara]

 Thanks for the correction and info on both subjects.

 I might leave the film for another time.  It's not as if I don't have any films to watch with subtitles.

[veracious]

Just finished watching Indra as sent to me by Nina. Excellent Telugu masala all-around, though I must say I began to get a little bored of the action/revenge/action plot that was most of the second half. And I didn't like the second female lead, though Sonali rocked my world in this. Will definitely be rewatching the songs, especially those with Sonali & Chiru. The dude can dance!

[veracious]

Made a screencap review post of Indra, mostly discussing (read: snarking lovingly) its typical masala-like qualities.

http://sotheydance.blogspot.com/2009/01/indra-study-in-south-indian-masala.html

[dormeg]

India's film star election candidate

Page last updated at 17:05 GMT, Thursday, 23 April 2009 18:05 UK

Up to 200 million people in India have been voting in the country's general election.

In Andhra Pradesh, massive crowds have been turning out to see one particular candidate. Chiranjeevi is one of the biggest movie stars in India. He is making his political debut promising justice for India's poor.

Damian Grammaticas has been following the film star on the campaign trail.