'Dongata' will unleash the best in Lakshmi Manchu: Director

Debutant director Vamsi Krishna says forthcoming Telugu crime-comedy "Dongata" will unleash the best in its lead heroine Lakshmi Manchu, who has also produced the movie.

Coincidentally, Lakshmi plays an actress in the movie, which releases on Friday.

"All the characters Lakshmi has played before have not portrayed her real self. My film will unleash the best in her and show audiences her natural side. Since she plays an actress, she lived in the character as herself," Krishna told IANS.

"Heroines in Telugu cinema are mostly featured in bubbly roles, but Lakshmi has attempted something very few have done before. Right from the start till the end, she has carried the movie on her shoulders. I chose her mainly because she can mould herself in any character," he said.

The film is about three guys who kidnap Lakshmi and the events that follow between them.

Lakshmi and her brothers have been childhood friends with Vamsy.

"We grew up together in Chennai. After I assisted Gautham Menon for a few years in direction, I joined Lakshmi's home production and worked as an executive producer on a couple of her projects. It was during this time, I narrated her the script of 'Dongata'," he said.

Talking about the movie," Vamsy said: "It's a con-drama with a high dose of entertainment. It explores the relationship between money and humans".

One of the challenges for Vamsy was making the film on a stipulated budget without compromising on quality.

"The story is such that I had to shoot with all the actors on all days. It was extremely tough to complete the film under strict budget," said Vamsy, and added that his experience in various departments of filmmaking came in very handy.

"Right after college, I assisted editor Sreekar Prasad for a few years. Then I joined Gautham and worked with him on a few projects. Later, I ventured into film production. It's very important as a director to learn about other crafts as well," he said.

The movie also stars Adivi Sesh, Brahmanadam and Jayaprakash Reddy in important roles.