EAST GODAVARI: Telugu film producers off late are shooting films in the villages of Kodurupadu, Gudala in the scenic East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh. Though there is nothing new in film shootings taking place in the lush greeneries of the Konaseema-Godavari region, these two particular villages in Allavaram mandal in the district have a long association with Telugu cinema since the year 1962. Many films have been made in these two villages and there is a strong sentiment that films made here will become box office hits.

Telugu producers and heroes want to shoot at least one scene in the villages of Kodurupadu and Gudala to ensure their film's success. Many actors from senior actors like NT Rama Rao, Nagesgwara Rao, Krishna, Shobhan Babu, Balakrishna, Rajasekhar, Vijayashanti, Jayasudha, to the new heroes like Sharvanand, Prakash Raj, Tanikella Bharani, Srihari, Nani, have shot films here. Many scenes in films like Jeevanjyoti, Bhanumathi Garu Mogudu, Sivayya, Shatamanambhavathi, Ashtachamma, Srinivasa Kalyanam were shot here.

These two villages have attracted not only Tollywood but also Bollywood heroes. Several scenes from the movie Lal Singh Chaddha, featuring Bollywood hero Aamir Khan were recently shot in Kodurupadu. With the arrival of Aamir Khan’s entry, the villages came into the national limelight.

Ashtachamma made in 2009 was shot in a traditional house called the ‘ Manduva Logili’ in Telugu which is owned by one Polisetti Bhaskara Rao. This beautiful house was built a hundred years ago on an acre of land in Guda and is maintained well by the owner. Manduva Logilis are courtyard houses that are meant for joint families to live in. The Manduva Logili houses built before the 1950s and 1960s are still found in rural villages of East Godavari, West Godavari, Guntur, Nellore, Vijayanagaram, and a few in YSR Kadapa districts.

In the movie Ashtachamma directed by Indraganti Mohanakrishna, actors Nani and Avsarala Srinivas were introduced to the Telugu film industry as heroes. Bollywood producer Nitin Tiwari's Building Block Group advertisement was shot here. A couple of Telugu serials were also filmed here. Sharwanand’s Shatamanambhavathi, Srinivasa Kalyanam starring Nithin as the hero were shot in Kodurupadu village and the films went on to become a huge success. Top producers like Indraganti Mohanakrishna, Vegesna Satish and Dil Raju, among others, consider shooting in these villages as sentimental, said Polisetti Bhaskara Rao.

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