Biography of Leader

Biography – Sekhar Kammula

Sekhar Kammula is a name that is synonymous with quality cinema in the Telugu film industry. A critically acclaimed award winning Telugu film director, producer and writer, he has changed the entire perspective of the Telugu film industry with his films. The 39 year old film-maker hails from Eluru in West Godavari of Andhra Pradesh. He worked in the IT industry for a brief period and then joined the MFA program at Howard University, Washington, D.C.

Geared with a motive to make cinema with class, his films also echo the stories of the common man in today’s world, as will be perceived even in his next movie ‘Leader’. He has turned away from stereotypes, and has created real life-like characters that everyone can identify with. He bagged the national award for his film ‘Dollar Dreams’ in 2000 for the ‘best first film director’. . The movie essentially detailed the ideologies of the youth of today. His next film ‘Anand’ was a huge hit in the year 2004 which won seven Nandi awards. The punch line ‘ Manchi Coffee lanti cinema’ (Cinema like a good cup of coffee) defined the movie in its entirety. ‘Godavari’, his next film was a moderate success but was well received by critics. 2007 saw the release of his next film, ‘Happy days’. This movie touched the hearts of all the college going students and those who went to college sometime in their lives. There is a strong sense of nostalgia that is provoked by the film and everyone who has seen the film identifies with at least one of the characters in the film.  He avoids the excessive use of violence and vulgarity in his films.

His passion and commitment for film –making is manifest in all his films. He is known for making cinema in its most honest form that will be reflected in his latest venture ‘Leader’. He has taken up the challenge to work with a very relevant and novel subject in ‘Leader’.

Biography – AVM

AVM Productions is credited with being the oldest and the largest production house in India. It was started by A.V. Meiyappan in 1946, and is presently controlled by M.Sarvanan and his son, M.S. Guhan. Their filming studios are situated at Vadlapani in Chennai. The company prides itself on the creation of 174 films, all the while surviving the trials and tribulations of time. Their latest venture in Telugu, ‘Leader’ is the 175th film to hit the screens. AVM has always been attributed as an establishment that has produced captivating films for the audiences and has provided opportunities to many talented artists throughout the years.

A.V. Meiyappan always provided opportunities to upcoming and talented artists and technicians. Making movies for him was not a business; it was a means to achieving soul satisfaction. Even today, their movies are a continued proof of the dedication of his offspring. AVM Studios has all the facilities and equipment required for the production of films and television serials with pre-production and post production facilities as well. In addition, they have outdoor sets and shooting floors with all kinds of facilities required to make a film. A.V. Meiyappan is the guiding strength behind his son M.Sarvanan, his grandson M.S.Guhan and his great granddaughters who continue to take it forward with commitment and dedication.

AVM films are recognized as not just commercial endeavors, but as films with a social message backing and films that trigger the minds of the audience. Recent notable films include ‘Sivaji’ (2007), ‘Ayan’(Veedokadde in Telugu), ‘Thirupati’(2005) and several others. Their most recent venture is ‘Vettaikkaaran’ and their upcoming film is ‘Leader’ (2009) in Telugu. After huge successes such as Sivaji, ‘Leader’, starring debut actor Rana Daggubati will be the next major explosion to hit Tollywood.

Biography – Mickey J Meyer

Mickey. J. Meyer is a renowned composer, instrumentalist and vocalist based in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh. From his childhood itself, he has been well trained in Carnatic music and musical instruments such as the violin and piano. He is only the third Indian to have studied at the Trinity Music College of London following in the footsteps of the music Maestros, Ilayaraja and A.R. Rahman.  All his compositions have a distinct Western flavor which he owes to his schooling. He has composed several songs and scores for Telugu films in the past few years.

Mickey’s inspiration has been A.R. Rahman from the beginning. His first big break in the Telugu film industry happened in the form of the Telugu movie, ‘Pothe Poni’. Following this, he also composed the music for ‘10th Class’ (2006) and ‘Notebook’ (2007). Soon after this, Sekhar Kammula signed Mickey as the music director for his film ‘Happy Days’ which has been considered one of his best albums till date. He received recognition with the Best Music Director award at the three major Telugu film awards – Filmfare Awards South, Nandi awards and the CineMAA awards. Due to his huge success, he composed the music for the remakes of the film in Tamil (Inidhu Inidhu) and Kannada (Jolly Days) as well. This paved the way for his entrance to other Indian film industries as well.

Owing to his outstanding success, he then went on to compose the scores and songs for the Telugu films ‘Hare Ram’ and ‘Kotha Bangaru Lokam’. He has composed music for Sekhar Kammula’s next film ‘Leader’ to be released this year. The album is said to have some powerful and enjoyable tracks, which will certainly be well liked and admired by all audiences. He has surely made his mark as the most promising new music director in the Telugu film industry.

Filed Under: Filmography

Tags: AVM Productions, Biography of Leader, Featured, Mickey. J. Meyer, Sekhar Kammula