Mass Maharaja Ravi Teja’s Irumudi is creating considerable anticipation ahead of its August 21 theatrical release. Directed by Shiva Nirvana and produced by Mythri Movie Makers, the film pairs Ravi Teja with Priya Bhavani Shankar and explores an unusual combination of family emotion and crime against the backdrop of Ayyappa Mala Deeksha.
Shiva Nirvana says the film will provide audiences with a fresh experience because this particular combination has rarely been explored in Telugu cinema. “You will see a very new Ravi Teja in Irumudi. There has never been a film in this backdrop like this. With family emotion and a crime angle, Irumudi will offer a very new experience,” the director said.
According to Shiva, the film was conceived around three distinct layers. “There are three layers in the film. One is the Ayyappa Mala backdrop, another is the family and the third is the crime angle. We planned our promotions according to these layers and gradually revealed the content. By the time the trailer arrived, audiences had clarity about what the film contains.”
The filmmaker is confident that the film will live up to the buzz created by its promotional material. “Everyone is now prepared to see what is actually in the film. I am confident that Irumudi will definitely meet the expectations of the audience.”
Shiva Nirvana believes Ravi Teja’s presence gives the unusual subject a much larger reach. “If an actor does a story around a point that nobody has touched before, it will have one kind of reach. If a star does it, the reach is completely different. When you combine the Ayyappa Mala backdrop, family emotions and a new setup with a star like Ravi Teja, the story can reach every household.”
A key feature of the story is the transformation experienced by Ravi Teja’s character during the Mala Deeksha. Shiva believes this offered him an exceptional opportunity to explore human behaviour. “Once someone wears the Mala, they follow strict discipline and are afraid of committing mistakes. Even a person who makes mistakes every day will be determined not to make a single mistake during the Deeksha. That became a fantastic human drama for the character.”
The director undertook extensive research before shooting the film. “I spoke to many people about the Mala and learned everything I could. But I still felt there was something missing, so I wore the Mala myself. I attended Padipoojas in Film Nagar, met Guruswamis and had also gone to Sabarimala earlier with Hanu Raghavapudi,” he said.
The director dismissed reports that Ram Charan appears in the film. “No, that is only social media speculation. Ram Charan is an Ayyappa devotee and has that vibe, so perhaps fans wanted him to be part of it. But he does not appear in the film. I hope he likes Irumudi,” Shiva clarified.
