The Telugu film industry has always been superstitious and sentimental, especially on the day of the launch of a film. From muhurat timings to the first shot, every detail is believed to influence a film’s fate. One such story was shared by legendary director Kodi Ramakrishna, who recalled how a tense moment on the first day of shooting for ‘Intlo Ramayya Veedilo Krishnayya’ was transformed by Megastar Chiranjeevi’s positivity. The incident has since become one of the most talked-about memories from the Megastar’s early career.

Kodi Ramakrishna recalls the ‘bad sentiment’ from his first film

Recalling the incident with Asianet, Kodi Ramakrishna said he had always wanted the first shot of his debut film to be filmed on Chiranjeevi. “It was my first film as a director, so I wanted my very first shot to be on Chiranjeevi garu. But he arrived a little late for the launch. Everyone insisted that we should begin the shoot with Poornima because the producer wanted everything to happen on time. I had no choice but to shoot the first scene with her,” he said. The director added that moments later, the camera assistant ran to him and said, “Sir, the camera battery wasn’t connected.” Kodi admitted that the entire set fell silent. “Everyone looked at me. People started saying it was a bad sentiment and that such things shouldn’t happen on a new director’s first shot. I was heartbroken and kept wondering why my first day had started like this,” he recalled.

Chiranjeevi’s words changed the mood on the set

When Chiranjeevi finally arrived, he noticed the worried faces and asked what had happened. When he heard about the incident, he broke the atmosphere with his trademark humour. He playfully told Kodi Ramakrishna that he had promised to take the first shot with him, but ended up shooting Poornima. Then he urged the director to forget the incident and said confidently, “Now take the first shot with me. “If this film doesn’t run for a year, then ask me.” His positive spirit immediately lifted everybody’s spirits, replacing fear with confidence. According to Kodi Ramakrishna, Chiranjeevi’s positive words gave the entire team renewed energy to continue the shoot.

The film proved every superstition wrong

As fate would have it, Chiranjeevi’s prediction turned out to be true. ‘Intlo Ramayya Veedilo Krishnayya’ went on to become a major success and reportedly ran in theatres for nearly a year. The film also marked the beginning of a successful combination of Chiranjeevi and Kodi Ramakrishna, who later became one of the celebrated directors of Telugu cinema. The story is a reminder, even decades later, that confidence, encouragement and belief can often beat fear and superstition and remains one of the most memorable behind-the-scenes moments of Megastar Chiranjeevi’s illustrious career.