Sankalp Reddy Unveils Rocket Model for Venu Udugula’s Rural Sci-Fi Comedy ‘Chandrayaan’; Theatrical Debut on November 13
Following the critical and commercial success of Raju Weds Rambai, filmmaker-producer Venu Udugula is presenting another grassroots Telugu outing: an adventurous rural satire titled ‘Chandrayaan’.
Directed by Srinath Chandrasekhar and produced by Praveen Molaka under the Simba Screen Stories banner, the film features Shivakumar Dheekonda and Swapna Priyadarshini in the lead roles, alongside Ravi Shivateja, Vamsidhar, Lokesh, and Balagam Satyanarayana.
The production team hosted a promotional “Rocket Reveal” event in Hyderabad, graced by acclaimed director Sankalp Reddy (Ghazi, Antariksham 9000 KMPH) as the chief guest. Originally planned for an end-of-October rollout, the makers announced a strategic postponement, confirming a worldwide theatrical release on November 13.
The Premise: Four Underdogs Aim for the Moon
The core narrative follows four small-town youth from Mandamarri who are written off by their community. Refusing to settle for low expectations, the quartet embarks on an absurd, audacious mission: building a homemade rocket to land on the Moon.
Addressing the media, director Srinath Chandrasekhar explained the narrative tone:
"When society dismissed these four youngsters as useless, they resolved to attempt the unthinkable. As our lyric says, ‘From Mandamarri to the Moon, this hungama won't stop.’ The comedy stems entirely from their unrefined trial-and-error attempts, raw innocence, and the chaotic slapstick that unfolds once Shivakumar climbs into their homemade machine."
Presenter Venu Udugula likened the debutant team's dedication to family-led craftsmanship:
"Director Srinath has written a script packed with uninhibited innocence. It deliberately bypasses conventional logic for pure situational nonsense comedy, yet remains deeply sensible and earnest at its core. Just as the real Chandrayaan demonstrated India's space engineering capabilities to the world, this film will showcase the collective grit and comedic flair of this young team."
Event Highlights: Cast and Guests Speak
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Chief Guest Sankalp Reddy: "Seeing the enthusiasm on this stage is infectious. For most of these actors and technicians, 'Chandrayaan' serves as a literal launching pad into mainstream cinema. I extend my warmest wishes to the entire unit for their November 13 launch."
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Lead Actor Shivakumar Dheekonda: "Being a newcomer, stepping onto the set was initially daunting. But the comedy written directly into the scenario carried us through. The scenes where we construct the vessel and my misadventures inside the fuselage will deliver clean laughs to theatergoers."
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Lead Actress Swapna Priyadarshini: Expressing gratitude for the viral response to the single ‘Apsarasa’, she added that playing a grounded Telugu girl in her debut project offered a rewarding start.
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Producer Praveen Molaka: Clarified the release schedule change: "We initially aimed for an October 30 release, but deferred the date out of respect for marquee releases featuring senior stars. We are ready to roll out grandly on November 13."
The technical team includes music director Harsha Praveen, cinematographer Srinivasa B, and veteran choreographer Baba Bhaskar.
