Actress Lakshmi Manchu is on cloud 9 after her film Chandamama Kathalu won the National Award on Tuesday for the Best Telugu Film.
Directed by Praveen Sattaru, Chandama Kathalu that released on April 25 last year, is an anthology film comprising of eight sub-stories. Manchu, who plays the role of a fallen model, Lisa Smith in the film, hopes that the National award will finally give the film, the accolades it deserves. “The sad part is the movie still has not gained its satellite rights, which is a big chunk of the revenue that a filmmaker looks for when they make a movie. So I’m hoping that they will come forward and buy the film with a bigger amount and it gets the value it deserves,” Manchu told Express, after the film won the national award.
The actress could not hide her excitement after hearing the news and explained that she always believed in the film.
“I feel like I have won the national award myself. It is very heartwarming and I feel so grateful to be a part of such a fantastic movie. I have always believed in the film, even before all of this. Many people asked me why I am doing this movie, but I believed in the story and now all I want to say is that we need to be more open to Telugu films. We have the capacity, talent, writers and the right production values,” she pointed out.
Manchu, who was unanimously elected as the vice-president of Movie Artists Association (MAA) on Monday, is optimistic of carrying forward her family’s legacy and says her focus will be to help artists who are in a dire situtation.
“The focus is on what good we can do for the artists who are not in the run, take care of their benefits, insurance and if there is any other problem for any artist among the industry.
After incumbent president Murali Mohan, Lakshmi Manchu also announced her backing for veteran actress Jayasudha, who is contesting for the post of MAA President. “For the first time in the history of MAA, a woman is contesting in the form of Jayasudha, and we are always talking about women’s rights and every hero is talking about how women should be treated in movies. Now it is time to show some solidarity by getting behind Jayasudha,” Lakshmi added.
‘Lakshmi and Praveen were the pillars of the film’
Vennela Kishore, who played a blink and miss role Chandamama Kathalu is all praise for director Praveen Sattaru. The director who is known to be non-commercial entered the field after leaving a high-paying job in the United States. Kishore tells us that it is his passion that has brought him this far. “He is clear about what he wants and his way of measuring success is not commercial. I am very happy for him and the team. The credit goes to Praveen and Lakshmi Manchu. They are the pillars of the film,” said the actor who is best known for his role in the movie Vennela. Kishore also added that the movie turned out be as good because of the work culture Praveen creates on his set. “He is very comfortable to work with. He gives space to people to emote on their own. He is a quality director who acknowledges the actors and at the same time gives them their space,” he shared.