Bhala Thandhanana, the upcoming Telugu film led by actors Sree Vishnu and Catherine Tresa, is a crime thriller revolving around the hawala trade, director Chaitanya Dantuluri says to Silverscreen India.
The film is set to release in theatres on Friday. It is produced by Vaaraahi Chalana Chitram banner.
Speaking about the film, Dantuluri mentions, “Bhala Thandhanana will have an element of believability, leaving room for thought for the audiences. The story revolves around an investigative journalist (Catherine), who uncovers the crimes commited by the antagonist, who partakes in the hawala trade. While the first half indicates that it is her story, the rest of the film looks into how Vishnu’s character gets involved in the events that unfold.”
Incidentally, Srikanth Vissa, who made his film industry debut as a dialogue writer for Dantuluri’s 2014 film Basanti, has penned the story and dialogues of the upcoming film. Dantuluri has written the film’s screenplay. “We have always worked as a team, and have a long way ahead of us. After Basanti, we began working on my stories. Since I had ideas for big-budget films, it took time to get them materialised. Meanwhile, around 2015-16, Srikanth pitched this story idea to me, suggesting we collaborate on it,” the filmmaker adds.
Dantuluri further talks about casting the leads and says, “Around 2015-16, Vishnu was an up-and-coming actor, then. He had done a small role in my film Baanam, where he had dialogues for the first time, onscreen. I have known him for a while now, and I ultimately decided to cast him in this film. In Catherine’s case, I have wanted to work with her since the time I had watched her in Madras. Since I grew up in Madras as well, I liked her role in the film. Once production was confirmed, I suggested her name.”
Recommended
Aside from the leads, supporting cast members include Garuda Ram, Posani Krishna Murali, Srinivasa Reddy, Srikanth Iyengar and Aadarsh Balakrishna, among others.
Bhala Thandhanana was launched in February 2021, and went on floors in August that year. It was wrapped up in December. Completely filmed in Hyderabad and the city’s outskirts, the film was shot by cinematographer Suresh Ragutu, with Marthand K Venkatesh handling the editing. Mani Sharma has composed the music, along with five songs for the film.
After this film, Dantuluri says that he will be collaborating with Vissa once again, for a line-up of projects. “I have been working on ambitious scripts, but we are awaiting the reception for Bhala Thandhanana,” the filmmaker concludes.