'DJ Tillu' will hit the screens on February 12. Starring Siddhu Jonnalagadda and Neha Shetty, the crime comedy is produced by S Naga Vamsi of Sithara Entertainments.

In this interview, the producer speaks about the film's strengths. He also throws light on his upcoming movies and the release plans of Pawan Kalyan's 'Bheemla Nayak'.

Excerpts:

It was in the 2020 lockdown that I watched 'Krishna And His Leela' on Netflix. I liked the film and gave Siddhu Jonnalagada a call. He was doing another rom-com at that time. I told him to come up with some other genre. He pitched a crime comedy plot and I liked it. Moreover, 'DJ Tillu' is the first crime comedy outing for Sithara Entertainments.

I didn't plan concretely to make a youthful film. Last year, our films 'Rang De' and 'Varudu Kaavalenu' were received well but they didn't do as well as expected. We hope 'DJ Tillu' is what the market is expecting at this point. The openings are encouraging.

The film will be as fun as the trailer. The ending is open-ended and we are hoping to make the second part.

'DJ Tillu' throws light on the thinking of girls of today's times. Its elements are drawn from modern culture but they don't demean women in any manner. Tillu is a naive guy who is taken for a ride by Radhika (Neha Shetty). That's where the fun gets generated.

Siddhu's narration was hilarious. That's what made me produce the film. One can judge entertainment with less difficulty as a producer. The openings have exceeded our expectations. The pre-release bookings trend is great in Hyderabad ahead of the release. Andhra will take to catch up, given the genre and cast of 'DJ Tillu'.

This is bold content. This is not adult content. How can you call a kissing scene adult content in this day and age? We have been restrained in projecting romance.

I listened to a lot of stories in the first wave of the pandemic. Films like 'Swathi Muthyam' are happening because of that. Fresh talents are good at presenting their new-age stories well. Talking of 'DJ Tillu', we made suitable changes to the script as per the suggestions of Trivikram garu. The RR will be a major stand-out feature.

Once I lock a script, I don't interfere. I let the director do his job in peace. Siddhu's performance and comedy will keep you laughing throughout. It's a complete entertainer. Siddhu's next two movies will be under our banner. We have signed a deal with him. He is a talented writer like Naveen Polishetty and Adivi Sesh. Such actors-cum-writers need all encouragement.

'Pataas Pilla' has been composed by Sricharan Pakala. I suggested that Anirudh should sing the song. Ram Miriyala's DJ song has been a big hit.

'DJ Tillu' is having a compact release, considering that 'Khiladi' is also in the race. Moreover, the occupancy limit is 50% in Andhra Pradesh. We are expecting the collections to maintain momentum on Valentine's Day and beyond.

If the situation improves, 'Bheemla Nayak' will hit the screens on February 25. The situation in AP is being observed. Today, Chiranjeevi garu and others met with the CM of AP. We hope the Covid-19 restrictions will be lifted soon. A song is pending to be shot. It will be completed soon. Night curfews and 50% occupancy limit are stumbling blocks as of now. If they are removed, we will release 'Bheemla Nayak' on Feb 25 itself. As for ticket prices, Chiranjeevi garu's meet with the CM will hopefully be taken care of them.

The third wave hasn't affected the economy much. The second wave was scary, though. I hope Covid-19 becomes mere flu soon.

Dhanush's movie 'SIR' is not exactly about the education mafia. It touches upon a lot of issues related to education, like capitation fees, private colleges, etc.