Penny drops

“No one in this film,including the actors,technicians and equipment suppliers,is going to be paid any remuneration. It will be made only with those actors and technicians who are excited to be a part of this project.” tweeted Varma. Apart from Ravi Teja,the cast includes Chaarmi,Laxmi Manchu,Brahmandam,Subba Raju,Brahamajee,Ajay and Prakash Raj. The film will be co-produced by Puri Jagannath. The movie is slated to release on March 11 — exactly a month after Varma starts shooting it.

With a careergraph that has recently seen more lows than highs — Varma has decided to play it safe with this film. “All the people who work for this project will only be paid after the release of the film,that is if the film makes profits and those payments will be in accordance with their individual value

additions,” he tweeted.

Recent years are proof enough that a high budget doesn’t ensure a box-office success. Last year big budget films such as Kites,Raavan,Tees Maar Khan and Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey bombed at the box office,low-budget films such as Band Baaja Baaraat,Tere Bin Laden and Udaan kept the industry hopes high. In such a scenario,Varma by announcing his next project has joined the age-old debate on story versus production cost. “The technology I am adopting for this film is going to prove that it’s not crores of rupees that we need. It’s just a story which excites all concerned and a desire in all of them to see the film happen,” he tweeted.