Teja returns to his roots

With his very first film Chitram, cinematographer-turned-director Teja proved that he wasn’t among the regular, run-of-the-mill filmmakers. Chitram, in many ways, signalled a new era in Telugu cinema with the choice of actors, technicians, paving way for more vibrant love stories set in a college backdrop. The 2000-release, based on the plot surrounding teenage pregnancy, marked the arrival of then-star Uday Kiran and heroine Reema Sen into the industry. For many associated with Chitram, there was no looking back, at least for a decade or so.

Now, the director has announced a sequel to the film titled Chitram 1.1, where he reunites with music director RP Patnaik after a 13-year gap (they last worked on Lakshmi Kalyanam). Like in most of his films, the filmmaker promises to launch a slew of newcomers with the sequel – as many as 45 of them. The film announcement comes at a time when another project of Teja titled Alivelu Venkata Ramana was facing troubles with its casting.

‘Expect the unexpected’ has always been the mantra of director Teja whose unconventional subject choices, casting, treatment and sensational statements are well known. Yet, consistency has been an issue with the filmmaker throughout his career. With the Chitram Sequel, Teja and R P Patnaik have a lot to prove. Teja’s many finds – Uday Kiran, Anitha, Nithin, Sada, Navdeep, Reema Sen, Kajal – have attained success in their careers. So, the newcomers launching through the film can also be hopeful about the project being a good launchpad. Sameer Reddy cranks the camera for the film, to be edited by senior technician Kotagiri Venkateswara Rao.