Starring Rakesh Varre in the lead, Jithender Reddy is directed by Virinchi Varma
Rakesh Varre, who played key roles in films like Mirchi, Baahubali and turned a lead actor with Evvarikee Cheppoddu, is stepping into the shoes of a real-life leader for Jithender Reddy. He reprises the titular role in the film inspired by key incidents from the local leader’s life in the 80s. Virinchi Varma is the director of the film, produced by M Ravinder Reddy under Muduganti Creations.
The first glimpse of Jithender Reddy was launched in the presence of the lead actor, director, producer and popular character artist Ravi Prakash today. The film’s intentions are spelt out clearly in the glimpse – it is a reverential biopic designed to chart the rise of the Jagityal-based leader, focusing on the crests and troughs in his life. The glimpse underlines that it’s the story of a ‘legend.’
The glimpse starts with a personal tragedy in his protagonist’s family and a promise he makes to a loved one while delving into the various dimensions of his eventful life. The final shot in the glimpse emphasises how he didn’t shy away from violence when justice had to be delivered. Vaishali Raj and Riya Suman play the female leads in the film, also starring Subba Raju and Ravi Prakash.
When multiple films of Virinchi Varma failed to get going owing to multiple issues, cinematographer Gnana Sekhar V S suggested he listen to this story. Virinchi, initially reluctant to helm a script by a different writer, was handed over a fat book by the producer. Once the two-film director finished reading it, he was firm that the story deserved to be adapted for the big screen.
Rakesh Varre put two home productions on the backburner to invest his energy into Jithender Reddy. Much like Virinchi, he went to the narration intending to say ‘no’, but was compelled to give it a nod, bowled over by its intensity. The team met many key figures in Jithender Reddy’s life to provide a more accurate account of the tale and believed his heroics deserved to go much beyond Jagityal.
Jithender Reddy releases in theatres on May 3.
