"Couple Friendly is not just for couples. It is also for the unloved and family audiences," the makers behind the Valentine's Day release today said, unveiling the movie's Trailer at a multiplex in Hyderabad. The film, produced by UV Concepts, is heading to theatres on February 14.
Speaking on the occasion, Santosh Shoban shared that UV Creations is like his home banner, as the core team at the production house has always supported him like his own family. He appreciated director Ashwin Chandrasekhar's creativity, saying that Couple Friendly will only be the first of his many good films in a long career. The young director is in for a long haul, the actor suggested. He made a mention of the female lead, Manasa Varanasi, a former beauty queen. The Ek Mini Katha actor is conscious of the fact that there has been a gap in his filmography after the pandemic. "If I could take a two-year break, that's only because of the financial security provided by my brother, Sangeeth (MAD fame). Couple Friendly is going to be remembered by the audience for the next two decades. The characters will make you laugh, move you emotionally, and even bring tears at times," he assured the audience.
Shiva is Santosh's name in the musical romantic drama. The Nellore-born Shiva goes to Chennai to pursue his Interior Designer dreams. There, he lives with Mithra (Manasa), who hails from Chittoor. The film therein explores their live-in relationship and their journies. The protagonist is a coming-of-age character.
Manasa shared that the film is entirely about the memories and moments experienced by the lead pair. "Mithra, my character, knows what she wants. She makes decisions for herself in life. That way, CF is a roller-coaster ride of a fresh, youthful love story," the heroine said, adding that two of the songs are going to be loved by the audience thoroughly. "My character is full of life and zest. She has this never-say-die spirit within her. We need to turn things around no matter what setbacks we face. Her 'Let's do it come what may' motto is so relatable. When I began shooting for CF, I was in a meditative, calm state of mind. However, my character had to channel anger and rage. Two years hence, I am capable of anger (laughs)," Manasa revealed.
Distributor Dheeraj Mogilineni said that he is releasing CF in the Telugu States because he couldn't do such a love story as a producer. The emotional weight of the first half of CF moved him so much that he made up his mind to buy its theatrical release rights. He couldn't resist the temptation of talking about it with his friends. He implied that CF is going to be haunting. Santosh's moving performance is among the biggest highlights. The distributor suggested that CF is a "new-age" love story. "This is neither preachy nor grey-shaded. The story is just the journey of a Gen Z girl and that's all there is to it," he added.
The hero-distributor duo talked about director Ashwin's narrational skills. A very content-rich short film he had made prompted UV Concepts to greenlight the project. "Although you might see a 7/G Brindavan Colony flavour in the trailer, our movie has no similarities with that one. We all wait for success in life. Chasing success is a phase in every man's life. That's what makes my character so relatable," Santosh shared.
Director Ashwin is confident that the movie's live-in will be embraced by the audience. "There is more to the story than the live-in dimension. There are other angles that everyone will find relatable. Not just the lead pair, even the city backdrop is a character. The honesty behind CF will be liked by one and all," the filmmaker added. "Yogi Babu is not there just for comedy. There is more to his character. He has dubbed for his character in Telugu," he revealed.
Co-producer Ajay Kumar described the movie as "beautiful". He further said that Dheeraj Mogilineni's decision to back CF was almost immediate.
Couple Friendly espouses the ideology that love is a matter of destiny. "Love is everything," Santosh iterated.
