Exclusive: Anil Ravipudi Reveals the Practice Behind His 8/8 Hits

Anil Ravipudi, who has delivered eight consecutive commercial successes, opened up about the process that guides his filmmaking during Gulte’s Directors Roundtable 2025. The discussion also featured Deva Katta, Chandoo Mondeti, Sailesh Kolanu, and debutants Ram Jagadish (Court) and Sai Marthand (Little Hearts).

While speaking about the many layers of judgement a director faces from pre-production to release, Ravipudi shared how he evaluates his own films before they reach theatres.

“For my films, the judgement doesn’t come from me alone. At the script stage, I sit with a group of people and observe their reactions. I can’t wait for the release to know whether something is working,” he said.

He added that he prefers showing his work to a wide range of viewers. “Some filmmakers may hesitate to screen their films to others, but I’m open to showing scenes to anyone, even someone who isn’t a strong critic. I watch their responses, their laughs, and make corrections if needed.”

Ravipudi noted that comedy is particularly tough to assess. “Reactions on two consecutive days can be completely different, and it can get confusing. This happened with my last film Sankranthiki Vasthunnam as well. At such times, you go with instinct.”

During the roundtable, the director also spoke about the logistical challenges of filmmaking today, the changing landscape shaped by AI, and the rising impact of negative trends on social media. He briefly touched on the progress of his upcoming film Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu starring Chiranjeevi and Venkatesh.

Watch the full interview for more insights and candid conversations from the participating directors.