'Jayamma Panchayathi' is heading to theatres on May 6. In this interview, actors Dinesh Kumar and Shalini Kondepudi talk about their background, roles and more. Shalini has previously done 'Choosi Choodangane' and the TV series 'Alludu Garu'.
Dinesh Kumar:
I hail from the Srikakulam district. After completing Engineering, I bagged a job as a motherboard designer. It was always my passion to enter a creative field. It's a big deal to find a place in the hearts of the audience. I wanted to grab that space. Some actors command a great amount of audience love. That's why I have become an actor. It has been 8 years since I completed my B.Tech. With 'Jayamma Panchayathi', I got my first break in the shape of this film.
I and director Vijay Kumar K hail from the same village. Moreover, our creative wavelengths are in sync. Sathya is the name of my character in the film. I didn't know that I would be playing a main role in the movie at first. Sathya is a priest at a temple in a village. Anitha (Shalini) is my girlfriend. I and Anitha fall in love and face a crisis. How Jayamma enters the scene and the crisis is overcome is what the film is about. I have got scenes with Suma garu.
I couldn't have asked for a better launch than this film. Had I done a solo-hero movie, my film wouldn't have received this sort of hype. We have been touring different towns to promote the film. The response has been very encouraging. The crowds are identifying us with the dialogues in the trailer. I am confident that, after the release of this film on May 6, film offers are going to come my way.
The scenes have been shot realistically. The dialogues are rooted. For example, I have played a priest. I am devotional in real life as well. I bagged this film just days after praying to Goddess Ammavaru at a temple. I requested Her for a film offer as my wait was getting too long. The story is set in the same town where the temple exists! After all, I come with no film background.
I am sure that I will be recognized as a new male lead in the market after this film is released. Just because I am a priest in the film, don't assume that it's a classy character. Sathya is a mildly massy guy.
It feels great that Pawan Kalyan garu has unveiled the trailer for our movie. This is an opportunity only established actors get. Only because of Suma garu, it was possible.
Shalini Kondepudi:
I hail from Hyderabad. My mother is from Mogaltur, the birthplace of Chiranjeevi garu. My father is a journalist. In the past, I have done a short film and have worked on ad films. My interest in acting has always been strong. In 2019, I started auditioning for roles. The pandemic struck just around the time I started auditioning for roles.
The sub-stories in 'Jayamma Panchayathi' are interconnected. The different threads are linked to Jayamma (Suma). My regret is that I don't have scenes with Suma garu.
I am not a resident of Srikakulam in the film. I am the only character who speaks in a neutral accent in the movie.
Anitha, my character, is so unlike the real me. I have never been to temples. But Anitha decks herself up in a traditional manner, frequents a temple and woos the priest (smiles).
