Custody starring Naga Chaitanya, is all set to arrive in theatres on 12th May. The film, directed by Venkat Prabhu, has Krithi Shetty as the female lead, while Maestro Ilaiyaraaja and Yuvan Shankar Raja composed the tunes. Arvind Swami plays the baddie. Srinivasaa Chitturi produced the film, which also has Priyamani, Sarath Kumar, Sampath Raj, Premji, Vennela Kishore, and Premi Vishwanath in key roles. Ahead of the release, we had a brief interaction with the film’s producer, and here is the transcript.
As a producer, which aspect impressed you in Custody?
The story and screenplay of Custody impressed me a lot. The movie has the emotions and entertainment that will attract Telugu audiences. Though the plot will be serious, there will be sufficient quotient of entertainment. I liked the way the director mixed both these elements. Custody will give the feel of a Hollywood film loaded with Telugu emotions.
What made you not opt for PAN India release?
From the very beginning, we planned it as a bilingual film. Though it is bilingual, we took extreme care for the Telugu and Tamil versions. It was like making two films. There will be a Hindi release at a later date.
Will you produce films keeping in mind the heroes’ market? Or will you spend according to the story?
When I made U-Turn with Samantha, none knew what her market was. I did it as I liked the story. I spent as per the requirements of the story. Also, Seetimaarr and The Warriorr are the most expensive films in Gopichand and Ram Pothineni’s careers. The same is the case with Custody. I didn’t have any calculations and spent what was required for the story. I am happy with the content and the film’s business.
After watching the output, what’s your feeling about the film?
Custody will be the highest-grosser in Naga Chaitanya’s career. Custody will remain a special film for Chaitanya, just like Siva in Nagarjuna Garu’s career. Every character in the movie will be unique.
Could you brief us about Arvind Swamy, Sarath Kumar, and Priyamani’s characters?
After listening to the script, Arvind Swami Garu gave his nod without any second thought. His character will be both terrific and entertaining. Arvind Swami Garu is sure to amuse the audience. Sarath Kumar Garu’s character will also be very powerful. Naga Chaitanya has to take on these two giant forces. Priyamani will be seen as Chief Minister.
Will there be a comedy track in Custody?
There won’t be tracks as such. There won’t be characters that have no importance. Even the heroine is not meant just for songs. There will be an interlink between each scene. Every character will have its own importance.
Could you tell us about your future projects?
There will be a sequel to Custody. I am saying this as I believe in the film. Ram – Boyapati’s movie is in the production stage, and we will release a teaser on Ram’s birthday. The movie with Nagarjuna will have its shoot in June. We will let you know the details soon. I will produce another film with Naga Chaitanya.