While there were reports saying that producer Dil Raju had said that Fidaa is a complete Shekhar Kammula film and that he did not interfere in it in any way, there is a buzz from industry sources that he has trimmed about 20 minutes of the film.

Apparently, the producer was not too happy with the film’s tempo and felt that it was too slow. Further, he wanted the film’s run time to be less than 2 hours and 15 minutes and therefore decided on the cuts.

However, sources say that it is not clear if the director had any say in this decision. One of the most successful producers in Tollywood, Dil Raju is known for suggesting changes in the story, script, etc., and his interference in his projects have been the talk of the town.

On the other hand, Shekhar Kammula is known for directing smash hits such as Anand, Life Is Beautiful and Happy Days. Fidaa, due for release on July 21st, 2017, has Varun Tej and Sai Pallavi playing the lead pair.

It may be noted here that the movie would be Sai Pallavi’s debut in the Telugu film industry. Bankrolled by Dil Raju under his banner Sri Venkateswara Creations, the film was shot extensively in India and the US. Shakthi Kanth has composed the tunes for Fidaa with Vijay C Kumar cranking the camera and Marthand K Venkatesh editing it.

With Varun Tej desperately in need of a hit with his previous release turning out to be a dud at the box office and the Premam girl Sai Pallavi making her debut in the Telugu film industry, the expectations on Fidaa are very high. Well, hope the producer’s decision to chop some scenes doesn’t come in the way of the film’s success at the box office.

(Content provided by Digital Native)