Telugu remake of 2 States to have Adivi Sesh, Shivani Rajasekhar in lead roles; shoot to begin in April

The Telugu remake of Arjun Kapoor, Alia Bhatt starrer 2 States was officially launched in Hyderabad this weekend by eminent personalities from Tollywood. While Baahubali filmmaker SS Rajamouli gave the first clap for the shooting, veteran director K Raghavendra Rao called the first shot. Rebel Star Krishnam Raju, the uncle of actor Prabhas, flagged off the proceedings by switching on the camera. Film producer and politician T Subbarami Reddy, senior filmmakers Kodi Ramakrishna and VV Vinayak also graced the occasion, making the launch of the film one of the biggest recent events in Telugu cinema.

#2States opening :) with the graceful #ShivaniRajasekhar. Lucky to be blessed by @ssrajamouli garu, VV Vinayak garu, KRR garu, Brahmi garu, Rebel star Krishnam Raju garu, Jeevitha garu, @ActorRajasekhar garu and other Titans of the industry. A memorable day indeed! pic.twitter.com/N4OUvKm4C0

— Adivi Sesh (@AdiviSesh) March 24, 2018

The project, which is jointly produced by Lakshya Productions and People Media Factory, is an adaptation of Chetan Bhagat’s best-selling novel 2 States. Kshanam fame Adivi Sesh plays the lead role in the film, which also marks the debut of Shivani Rajasekhar, daughter of famous Tollywood couple Rajasekhar and Jeevitha. 2 States will be directed by Venkat Kuncham, a former associate of VV Vinayak. Talking about the film, he said, “It’s a big day for us. We are happy you showed your love for us. Since the time I came on board as the director, we have worked on the script many times. It’s not easy to make an adaptation. Together with my writing team comprising Madhu Srinivas (co-screenwriter) and Mithun Chaithanya (dialogue writer), we have brought out a fresh script. Adivi Sesh is an extraordinary performer. And Shivani is a fresh talent. When I approached her with the script, she was very excited to come on board. Anup Rubens has already composed three excellent tunes. I thank VV Vinayak garu, who is my guru, for being here today to bless us.” The first schedule of the film will commence in Hyderabad from 5 April and end on 19 April. The second leg of the shoot is scheduled to happen in May in Kolkata, followed by the third schedule in the US, where key portions will be canned. Adivi Sesh, who plays a Telugu boy in the film, said, “Venkat is a dear friend of mine. I always wanted to do a true-blue love story. I watched the Hindi 2 States thrice in the theater. We have a very energetic team on board. Shivani, my co-star, is quite expressive. I have always tried to do fresh films in my career irrespective of the box-office result, and 2 States would also be a new attempt for me in the romance genre.” Shivani Rajasekhar, who is all set to make her debut as a lead heroine in the role of a North Indian girl, said, “I thank director Venkat for offering me a challenging role. Venkat and Chaithanya have done a great job as co-writers. I have known composer Anup Rubens for many years now. I love his songs a lot. The producers are taking care of me like a princess. I’m eagerly waiting to start shooting for the film.” Cinematographer Shaneil Deo, who has previously worked on Kshanam and who is currently part of Goodachari, has been signed for the film. Composer Anup Rubens said the story has a lot of scope for music and lauded the effort of the writers for coming up with a proper adaptation. Rajat Kapoor, Lissy, Adithya Menon, Priyadarshi of Pellichoopulu fame, Rahul Ramakrishna of Arjun Reddy fame, Vidyullekha Raman, Hema, and Uttej form the supporting cast of the film. The project also marks the comeback of Salman Khan’s Maine Pyar Kiya actress Bhagyashree to Telugu filmdom after two decades. Bhagyashree will be seen playing the role of Shivani’s mother in the film.