3rd November 2005

Nagarjuna's latest devotional epic Sri Ramadasu completed 35 days of shoot in places near by Rajahmundry. Here are the details given by the writer JK Bharavi about the Rajahmundry's schedule -

Daily poojas at shooting locations
Art director Bhaskara Raju has prepared two sets of sculptures of Rama, Seeta and Lakshmana. Each day of the shoot starts with a pooja of the sculptures. Special priests were hired for the entire shoot with the purpose of getting poojas performed in vedic style.

Ramakoti special
Ramakoti means writing the name Rama repeatedly on a paper. All the cast and crewmembers were instructed to write Ramakoti whenever they get spare time in the shooting location. Producer Krishnam Raju is planning to compile the Ramakoti written by Nagarjuna and other cast and crewmembers to publish as Sri Ramadasu unit's Rama Koti. If any of the interested fans of Nagarjuna write Ramakoti and submit it in the office of Konda Krishnam Raju, those Ramakotis would also be placed for pooja and archana along with the Ramakoti's of cast and crewmembers.

Taraka Mantra chant
Kabir Das (guru) instructs Taraka Mantra to Rama Dasu. It goes like this -

sri raama raama raameeti
rame raamee manorame
sahasranaama tattulyam
raama naama varaanane

Prior the start of the shoot everyday, entire unit would assemble and chant this Taraka Mantra. In the mythology, this Taraka Mantra was instructed by Lord Siva to Goddess Parvathi Devi.

Unaffected by cyclone
During the shooting of the film, the Godari districts faced threatening natural calamity in the form of cyclone. The shooting was taking place in Thorredu (25 km away from Rajahmundry). Though the weather was ominous, the unit had a safe stay over there by stopping shoot for 2 days. After two days, the unit continued shoot.

Natural scene shot in cyclone
There is one particular scene in the script of Sri Ramadasu that need to be shot in cyclone. Nagarjuna suggested that it could be shot when cyclone came. This shot has 200 artists acting in it amidst heavy rains and lightening. The adverse calamity is turned into advantage of Sri Ramadasu.

Here is the list of principle characters and the corresponding actors/actresses of Sri Ramadasu

Sri Ramadasu coverage
Announcement Press Meet
Muhurat
Photo Gallery
Chiranjeevi visits Sri Ramadasu sets

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