Director Venkat Prabhu reveals the unique appeal of Akkineni Naga Chaitanya's character in 'Custody'

'Custody,' the much-awaited Tamil-Telugu bilingual film starring Akkineni Naga Chaitanya and Krithi Shetty, is all set to release on May 12. The film marks the directorial debut of Tamil director Venkat Prabhu in Telugu cinema, and he is eagerly awaiting the audience's reaction. In an interview, Venkat Prabhu shared his excitement and shed light on various aspects of the film.
Addressing the origin of the film's idea, Venkat Prabhu clarified that 'Custody' is neither a remake nor inspired by any other film.However, he mentioned that while watching the Malayalam film 'Nayattu,' he found something intriguing that sparked an idea in his mind. The director shared that he and Naga Chaitanya had been planning to collaborate for a long time, and when he narrated the one-liner of 'Custody' to Chaitanya, he immediately liked it. Venkat Prabhu emphasized that 'Custody' required a significant budget, making it his most expensive film to date. Despite the high budget, the film maintains a realistic approach.
Naga Chaitanya, the son of Telugu star Nagarjuna, is known for being a private person who prefers not to discuss his personal life in public. Venkat Prabhu described Chaitanya as a humble, genuine, and down-to-earth individual, despite coming from a renowned wealthy family. The director expressed his pleasure at working with Chaitanya, highlighting the actor's simplicity and family-oriented nature.
Explaining why he chose Chaitanya for the film, Venkat Prabhu stated that he wanted to work with an actor who didn't carry any preconceived notions. The main character in Custody is a police constable, a departure from Chaitanya's usual romantic roles. Venkat Prabhu believed that Chaitanya's portrayal would be perfect for the action entertainer, adding that it would be the actor's first all-out action film.
As Custody is a bilingual film, shooting both the Tamil and Telugu versions simultaneously presented its own set of challenges. The production team had to shoot every scene twice, extending the shoot days by 25%. The Telugu actors had to deliver their lines in Tamil, which posed a bit of a challenge. However, Chaitanya and Krithi Shetty, both of whom speak Tamil, had an advantage. Chaitanya even made an effort to speak only in Tamil on set to improve his command over the language. Additionally, the physically demanding nature of the film, which involved shooting in different terrains, added to the challenges. Venkat Prabhu revealed that a particularly challenging water sequence was filmed for the movie.
While Naga Chaitanya expressed his satisfaction with the film, Venkat Prabhu eagerly awaits the audience's response, as well as the reaction of Chaitanya's father, Nagarjuna, who is also an acclaimed actor in the Telugu film industry.

Venkat Prabhu enlisted the musical expertise of his uncle, the legendary Ilaiyaraaja, and his cousin, Yuvan Shankar Raja, for the film. When asked about this collaboration, the director explained that Custody is set in the 90s, and he wanted to capture the nostalgic feel of that era. Ilaiyaraaja's contribution was instrumental in bringing the essence of the 90s to the film, while Yuvan Shankar Raja worked on the background score. The film features four songs, including one in the end credits, and two songs have already been released. Venkat Prabhu expressed his excitement at witnessing his uncle and cousin collaborating fully on a film for the first time.
Apart from Naga Chaitanya, the film also features Arvind Swami, Priyamani, Sarath Kumar, Sampath Raj, Premji, Vennela Kishore, and Premi Vishwanath in pivotal roles.


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