Director Saailu Kaampati shares journey behind ‘Raju Weds Rambai’

Akhil and Tejaswini come together for Raju Weds Rambai, an emotional rural drama produced by ETV Win Originals and presented by Dr. Nageshwar Rao Pujari under Dolamukhi Subaltern Films and Monsoons Tales. Directed by Saailu Kaampati, the film hits theatres on November 21 through Vamsi Nandipati Entertainments and Bunny Vas Works.

Hailing from Warangal, Saailu’s passion for cinema began early, inspired by films like 16 Teens and Sampangi. After completing B.Tech, he shifted focus entirely to filmmaking, working with directors Venu Udugula and Srikanth Addala. His story pitch for Raju Weds Rambai impressed Venu Udugula, who encouraged him to shoot a demo. The project was later taken up by ETV Win.

The film explores a real incident from 2004, revolving around Raju, who dreams of marrying his love, Rambai. Though not directly about honour killing, it deals with similar emotional intensity. The affected family approved the film on the condition of anonymity.

Casting Akhil from Warangal felt organic, while finding the right Rambai took time. Chaitanya Jonnalagadda was chosen to play the heroine’s disabled father after an impressive test shoot. Production faced delays due to floods submerging shooting locations, but the team persevered.

With music by Suresh Bobbili and strong industry support, Saailu is confident the film’s rooted narrative will resonate with audiences. His next project will be announced soon.