HYDERABAD: Short films on YouTube are emerging as a perfect option for that quick lunchtime entertainment or for that short break from work. Software Ammai Pelli Choopulu, released by iRa Films Official on July 10, is one such movie. A catchy title, this Telugu short has all the ingredients of a typical masala movie — comedy, family drama, romance, and a clever twist — all tightly packed in its 24-minute running time.
Written, directed, and edited by 24-year-old Satish Reddy Mallidi, this movie crossed 700K+ views within two weeks of its release. Shot in January over fourdays in Thondangi village, (8 km from Annavaram, East Godavari Dist, AP), the story is about a software employee trying to convince her parents to get her married to the person she is in love with. Since her parents are against love marriages, she and her boyfriend find a smart method of getting their marriage accepted by their families. Sailesh Sunny and Rohini Rachel play the romantic leads in the movie which was shot with a budget of around Rs 4 lakh. Lush green agricultural farms and beautiful south Indian traditional houses form the backdrop for the movie. The music by Vamshi Krishna Keys amps the rustic charm of the locales.
On the choice of the location, Ram Yerra, the producer says, “We wanted to showcase the beauty of a village and grand visuals with our production values and highend camera and drone shots.” Satish, a BTech dropout who did BFA at Annapurna College of Film and Media (ACFM), has directed 70+ short films and edited over 1 2 0 . H e adds, “As the whole idea is based on traditional matchmaking of a software employee whose roots are from a village, this formed the perfect location.”
Expanding on the topic for the movie, Ram says, “The questions asked here by the girl (in pellichoopulu) are common queries in the minds of modern working girls who are curious to know the answers from the boy befo r e marriage.” Satish, whose “movies are based on youthful comedy,” says he wrote the script in just three hours after the story was floated to him by the producers and is thrilled with the audience reception. “We were confident that, even though we are dealing with a known topic, our approach is unique.”