Rammohan is introducing actor Santosh Sobhan in his upcoming film Tanu Nenu. He had earlier introduced Nani and Raj Tharun as well. But he didn’t plan to become a director initially.
“I completed my engineering from Hyderabad and then I pursued my MBA from IIM-Ahmedabad. I wanted to start my own business in Hyderabad, but it didn’t work out.”
At that time, he met producer Suresh Babu and the two became good friends. “He was expanding the studio and he asked me to look after the computer systems and also the production work of his films,” says Rammohan. This was between 1996 and 1999.
“My mother used to take me along to watch K. Viswanath’s films. When I was in college I had watched a few films, but I was never a movie buff,” he says, adding, “But I read a lot and I like Jeffery Archer the most. I used to sit in during the story discussions and give my inputs too.”
He then shifted to Mumbai as his wife hailed from there. “I got an offer from UTV in Mumbai and I worked there for some time. Though I enjoyed the stint, I decided to return to Hyderabad.”
This time, Rammohan teamed up with Srini Raju. “I recovered some money that I had lost in my early business ventures. At that time my wife suggested that I make a film,” he says.
Director Indraganti Mohan Krishna had discussed a few ideas with Rammohan earlier and he now called him for a story. “That’s how my first film Ashta Chemma happened,” he says. Nani was introduced as the lead actor with this film, which went on to become a hit.
Rammohan then started his second film Golconda High School. “This film got me a lot of appreciation, but commercially it didn’t do as expected,” he says, adding, “I went overboard with the budget. Though people cautioned me about it, it’s my fault.” Following this Rammohan decided to go back to the basics and give more importance to the story. “Story is most important for any movie, whether it stars a big star or a new face.”
He then produced Uyyala Jumpala. “Initially I wanted to rope in Nani for the film, but Nagarjuna advised me to go with a new face. Raj Tharun, who actually wanted to direct, made his debut as the lead actor.”
He has also launched Avika Gor with this film, which was a huge hit as it was made with a budget of under '2 crore and collected nearly '15 crore.
Since then Rammohan has been associated with good stories. Nagarjuna’s upcoming film Soggade Chinni Nayana is also Rammohan’s subject. Talking about Tanu Nenu, he says, “Everyone appreciated the story but I wasn’t getting the right director. Then Suresh Babu suggested that I direct the film myself. That’s how I donned the director’s hat,” he says.
He directed a few scenes and showed them to Suresh Babu. “He told me where I was going wrong and where to improve. That’s how I learnt and completed the film,” he says.
He is introducing Santosh Sobhan, son of late director Sobhan with this film. “I gave Santosh a few scenes and asked him to show his skills. He was amazing,” says Rammohan.
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