Watch: Romanchakam Director Judged An RGV Scene On Set

Venu Gopal Reddy has taken a long and fascinating route to becoming a filmmaker. Ahead of Romanchakam’s release, he sat down for an engaging conversation with Gulte PRO’s Ram Venkat Srikar and opened up about his passion for cinema, his early influences and the experiences that shaped his filmmaking journey.

For Venu, cinema was never just a childhood fascination. Films like Geethanjali, Siva, Satya and Kshana Kshanam had a huge impact on him and made him look at filmmaking differently. He recalled walking out of Geethanjali in complete awe, wondering how a film could create such a fresh and magical experience.

After engineering, Venu found his way into the film industry through writing and small advertising projects. With no major film background or connections, getting an entry was not easy. His interest in faction stories eventually led him to write a screenplay inspired by real incidents, which unexpectedly reached Ram Gopal Varma.

That became a major turning point as Venu moved to Mumbai and spent around six years working closely with Ram Gopal Varma. He spoke fondly about learning filmmaking practically, from writing and editing to understanding locations and the importance of keeping the process simple while never compromising on the actual craft.

One of his most memorable experiences was working on Rakta Charitra. Venu revealed how he would sit with Varma during the editing process and even questioned whether a particular scene would survive the final cut. Months later, Varma remembered the suggestion and told him that the scene had indeed been removed, leaving Venu with a memorable lesson about filmmaking.

Venu also opened up about Dongala Muta, the experimental film made with a limited crew and multiple cameras in just a few days. What began as an unusual experiment became a valuable learning experience, with actors like Ravi Teja and Brahmanandam joining the project. Venu recalled the energy and excitement surrounding the entire shoot.

Venu also spoke about Romanchakam and the support from Sandeep Reddy Vanga, who is presenting the film. He recalled how the project became an important step in his journey as a filmmaker and expressed gratitude for the trust placed in him. For Venu, the film is the result of years of learning, patience and passion for cinema.

From learning under one of the most unconventional filmmakers to eventually stepping forward with his own film, Venu’s journey reflects years of patience, curiosity and constant learning. His conversation offers an interesting glimpse into the experiences behind Romanchakam and the filmmaker he has become today.