Revisiting Tholi Prema (1998): Review + Interesting Facts - 168

Credits

Banner: SSC Arts

Cast: Pawan Kalyan, Keerthi Reddy, Vasuki, Ali, Venu Madhav, Nagesh, Achyuth, PJ Sarma, Ravi Babu, Sangeetha, A. Karunakaran

Music: Deva

Cinematography: Y.Maheedar & Chota K Naidu

Art Direction: Anand Sai

Lyrics: Sirivennela and Bhuvana Chandra

Editing: Marthand K. Venkatesh

Story, Screenplay, Direction: A. Karunakaran

Producer: GVG Raju

Release Date: July 24th, 1998

Interesting Facts:

In 1997, Kanarukaran wrote a story. Already worked for Prema Desam as AD, and the movie was such a big hit and wanted his first movie to be that big a hit and wrote a new love story and met around 100 producers in Chennai but nobody accepted it. He had a lot of confidence on his story and but wasnt finding the right hero.
He felt if he gets the right hero, then producers will be attracted. But the right hero for the story wasnt crossing his mind, one day in a Tamil magazine he saw Pawan Kalyan’s photo and felt he would be apt for the story and role. He knew PK was a telugu hero and didn’t know he was Chiru’s brother at the time. He tried to contact Pawan and tried a lot but didnt get Pawan appointment. Finally get an appointment and said after listening to the story, he said ill wait for this story as long as it takes, he liked it that much
He liked doing regular movies, but for some reason Pawan connected to story of THoli Prema a lot.
Finally filming started, wanted to spent a lot for the budget but due to the Taj Mahal set, whatever they planned it went over budget and Pawan who already took advance and the remuneration he was supposed to get after the movie he said no use it for the production instead
When filming the accident scene 2 junior artists Loyola lo padipoyaru, Pawan immediately went into the Loyola and rakshinchadu.
One day when filming the song Ee Manase, the music wasnt there so Karunakaran just hummed the tune and Pawan danced to it. With that amount of dedication they filmed the movie
Original title of the movie was Kalavara Maye Madilo, finally July 24th, 1999 movie released. PK was still known as Chiru brother, his only hit at the time was Suswagatham, so movie released without any expectations. People who saw it were in shocks. Can you make a movie this neatly, and can you show this heroine this well in a movie. Yuvatha yega badi choosaru ee movie ni.
Love stories Ila vuntattai ani trend ni marchina movie Tholi Prema. Hero and heroine dont have any duets, chemistry, or vulgarity. It showed the meaning os swetchamiana prema achamaina niravacham cheppina movie Tholi Prema
Cant forget Pawans acting as a boy next door character lo vothigipoyadu Pawan and his expressions and body language, Every kid saw themselves (thanani thanu) in Pawan in this movie and they followed him in youth and became a youth icon and it gave him stardom
Karunakaran is a painter and the painting of Keerthi reddy in the movie was done by Karunakaran only
Movie audio was a super hit and the movie has no female vocals very rare feat.
Box office: sold for 3 crore pre release business, made 3x profit. It was going to become industry hit range but due to Choodalani Vundi which released a month after and became a blockbuster. Even then (aina sare) it became a blockbuster in Pawan’s career. Complete 100 days in 16 centers and 200 days in 2 centers. In Warangal, it ran for 300 days.
In Nizam they bought it for 90 lakhs and 90% of the share came from Sandhya 70 MM
First movie distributed by Dil Raju and it made Pawan close to number 1 spot in Telugu industry and remained a classic movie in his career and a movie with no haters. Everybody likes it even anti fans.