I turned director in frustration: Balagam director Venu Yeldandi (aka Venu Tillu)

HYDERABAD: After having done more than 200 films in over 20 years and won recognition as a comic actor, Venu Yeldandi (aka Venu Tillu) turned director with Balagam. Released last month, the rustic drama, starring Priyadrashi and Kavya Kalyanram, became a super success at the box office.

The director says that throughout the process, he was confident that they were making a good film. “But I never expected such a resounding success. I thought the industry would see a new me, but the kind of love and appreciation I am getting is absolutely overwhelming,” beams Venu, adding that even after over a month, the extent of success is yet to sink in.

The film showcases family values and the significance of unity, and Venu made the film believing that ‘your family is your balagam (strength).’

Venu is very happy as a director. “That’s because my film is a hit,” he quips. He debuted as a film actor in 1999, but initially found things hard, he reveals.  It took him five years for him to establish an identity. “After that I started becoming a popular face and the going became smooth,” he notes.

Not many know that Venu was a writer, and had penned a few tracks and scenes (dialogues) in a few films, apart from comedy skits in television. He wrote a few dialogues for Allu Arjun’s role as Gona Ganna Reddy in Rudhramadevi, and also ideated and wrote a fight scene in the Jr NTR-starrer Jai Lava Kusa. “Allu Arjun even thanked me at public functions, but no one knew that he was actually referring to me,” reveals Venu.

As an actor, although Venu is a recognisable face, he never got the desired breakthrough that would catapult him to another level. In fact, during the latter part of his acting career, the going became extremely tough. “It was a very painful life; I was suffering and didn't know whether to quit or continue acting or take up writing,” he shares.

He faced rejections, spent sleepless nights and even thought he had become outdated. But instead of waiting for someone to give him an opportunity, he decided to become a writer and filmmaker. “I turned director in frustration. Around 2017-18, I took up a unique story (Balagam) and worked on it. Casting was a huge challenge but I cast real people so that it looks authentic,” shares Venu saying that his acting experience helped him to cast the right people.

While crediting producer Dil Raju, his nephew Harshith and daughter Hanshitha for backing the film, Venu describes his wife as his pillar of support.