Badrappa Gajula makes his directorial debut with Crazy Kalyanam, featuring Anupama Parameswaran, Tharun Bhascker and VK Naresh in the lead roles. Produced by Boosam Jagan Mohan Reddy under the Arrow Cinemas banner, the film is set to release on October 16, alongside two other big-ticket releases. However, Badrappa remains confident about his film’s prospects, believing that its family-friendly appeal will help it connect with audiences.
“Our film was originally scheduled to release on October 30. We thought we might not get enough theatres because several big films were releasing this month. However, after Adarsha Kutumbam - AK47 postponed its release, we felt we could secure enough screens, so we advanced our release to October 16,” says Badrappa.
The director is unfazed by the competition, pointing out that Crazy Kalyanam belongs to a different genre than the other films releasing around the same time. “Ours is a complete family entertainer, and I am confident that family audiences will come to theatres to watch it. The story is set in Telangana, and the dialogues are also easy to understand,” he adds.
Badrappa believes his interest in cinema stems from his family’s artistic traditions. Born and raised in Banda Mailaram, a village in Telangana’s Medchal district, he grew up listening to stories and watching performances that left a lasting impression on him. "My great-grandfather used to narrate stories and perform them with music. My grandfather and father also played characters in Bhagavatham performances held in our village. They shared their experiences with me, and perhaps that is how my interest in the art form developed,” he says.
Unlike many aspiring filmmakers, Badrappa did not work as an assistant director before making his debut. Instead, he found his way into storytelling through documentaries. “After my graduation, I made a few documentaries for the government about its schemes and tourism. I made nearly 200 videos, and during that process, I travelled to many villages and interacted with people. I heard many stories from them and eventually decided that I wanted to tell stories about things happening around us,” says Badrappa, who reveals another inspiration behind his cinema aspirations. "Children of Heaven inspired me as a filmmaker. After watching it, I realised that cinema is about incidents happening around us, our life experiences, and the characters we encounter in our surroundings
The idea for Crazy Kalyanam also emerged from his observations of everyday life. “When we were students, we used to attend our friends’ weddings. I noticed that girls were often married off at a young age due to societal pressure and concerns about family honour. While the friends who attended the weddings would enjoy themselves, the girl would sit there as a bride without saying anything. But girls also have dreams. I started wondering what might be going through a girl’s mind in such a situation, and that is how the idea for this story began,” he explains.
Explaining why he took up this story as his debut, and casting Anupama as the lead, Badrappa says, "My intention is to bring about a change in this situation. I wasn't sure Anupama garu would agree to do it. But she immediately agreed to be part of the film." Delving deeper into what Anupama brought to the film, he adds, “She would explain how a girl might feel in a particular situation and even improvise scenes while performing. Her performance will impress everyone."
Badrappa adds that growing up in a family surrounded by women also influenced his approach to the story. “I grew up with my mother, grandmother and sisters. I wanted to tell a story from a girl’s perspective, and I tried to bring those emotions and the experiences I had observed to the screen in a new way."
Talking about how he brought authenticity to the 'kalyanam' in the title, Badrappa says, "A wedding held at home has a different kind of excitement and emotion. So I shot most of the scenes in a real house. A major part of the story is full of fun, along with strong emotions. We have presented the point I wanted to convey in an entertaining way,” says the filmmaker, who has cast another director in a key role in Crazy Kalyanam. “After listening to the story, Tharun Bhascker completely surrendered himself to his character, and gave a wonderful performance."
Popular Telangana poet and singer Goreti Venkanna has penned three songs for the film and also lent his voice to one of them. “Venkanna garu has written three songs, and his way of looking at life is reflected in them. I am happy to have had the opportunity to work with him on this film,” says Badrappa, who goes on to trace his journey into the world of cinema, and Crazy Kalyanam. "I worked with producer Jagan Mohan Reddy on a few commercial videos for his company. During that time, he observed my work and sincerity and developed confidence in me. He trusted that I could make a film even as a newcomer and gave me this opportunity,” says the filmmaker.
As for his next project, Badrappa says he wants to wait until Crazy Kalyanam reaches audiences. “I currently have a few stories with me. After this film’s release, I will plan my next movie,” he signs off.