Genre: Love
Banner: Millennium Movie Makers
Cast: Surya Vamsi, Sunitha Varma, Meenu Bharadwaj, Mada Venkateswara Rao, Velu, Sarathy, Sathi Babu, K.K. Sharma, Sudhakar, Chittibabu, Ali, Babu Mohan, Ananth, Uthej, Kota Srinivasa Rao, Brahmanandam, L.B. Sriram, M.S. Narayana, Mallikarjuna Rao, A.V.S., Gundu Hanumantha Rao, Junior Relangi, Jayaprakash Reddy, Banda Bhaskar, Alapati Lakshmi, Bangalore Padma, Delhi Rajeswari, Sobharani and Rajasri
Dialogues: Diwakar Babu
Lyrics: vennelakanti
Camera: Ram Kumar
Music: Mani Sharma
Story - Screenplay - Direction: Dhavala Mallik
Producer: Millennium Movie Makers
Theatrical Release Date: April 2002

Another talented director, who is trying to distance himself from the run-of-the-mill kind of films, is making his debut with Millennium Movie Makers' "Priyadarshini," a sublime love story. Dhavala Mallick had earlier proved his worth with the tele-film, "Krushi," which had bagged the Nandi Award. He is now making a foray into the big screen, with a story he had in mind for the past four years.

Says the director, "This is the right time to make the film as there is a change in the perception of the audience, which is welcoming new comers and fresh ideas in a big way." He was on the sets at Planet Ten, near Hyderabad recently. Suryavamshi and Meenu Bharadwaj play the lead roles, supported by Manoj and Alluri Sunitha.

"The story is about two friends - Priya (Meenu) and Lalitha (Sunitha), their friendship, love and marriage. The hero (Suryavamshi) is a sort of Casanova, studying in the same college. Manoj, a software professional in the U.S., is an admirer of Indian culture and tradition, who comes to India to marry his niece. But trouble brews when he falls in love. How the problem is solved and how one friend helps the other in pursuit of love forms the main theme."

"The film unveils a new facet of love, set against a campus backdrop. The six songs in the film are situational, and Manisharma has come up with another brilliant score," adds Mallick. The director has had a long stint as the associate director of his brother Dhavala Satyam and has also worked as an assistant director for a Hollywood film, "Barak," directed by Ron Frickie, when part of it was shot at Chennai.

A highlight of the film is a song featuring comedians of yesteryear and the present ones. "Perhaps this is the first Telugu film to feature so many male comedians in a song. Picturised in a hospital, comedians like Mada Venkateswara Rao, Velu, Sarathy, Sathi Babu, K.K. Sharma, Sudhakar, Chittibabu, Ali, Babu Mohan, Ananth, Uthej and Kota Srinivasa Rao, have been featured in the song. Apart from ace comedians, Brahmanandam, L.B. Sriram, M.S. Narayana, Mallikarjuna Rao, A.V.S., Gundu Hanumantha Rao, Junior Relangi play the key roles. "With this the shooting and dubbing are over. After completing the re-recording and post-production work, we plan to release the film by the second week of April. 'Priyadarshini' symbolizes love and carries a subtle message. It will turn out to be an engrossing entertainer."

Jayaprakash Reddy, Banda Bhaskar, Alapati Lakshmi, Bangalore Padma, Delhi Rajeswari, Sobharani and Rajasri are in the cast.

Dialogue is by Diwakar Babu, lyrics by Vennelakanti, Viswa and Mallick, camera by Ram Kumar, art by Vasu, and editing by Ravindra Babu. The co-director is C. Lakshman Eepuri Subbaih.

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