Vrinda Prasad
After shaking a leg with Pawan Kalyan in Sardar Gabbar Singh, Raai Laxmi is set to scorch the screens with her special song in the Chiranjeevi-Kajal starrer Khaidi No 150.
The song, titled Ratthalu, has already become a chartbuster and Raai Laxmi admits that she was taken aback by the response.
"My phone hasn't stopped ringing ever since the song was released on the eve of New Year. For that matter, I didn't know that the song was going to be released on December 31. I was chilling on a beach in Koh Samui in Thailand when I got to know about the song. For me, it was the perfect way to welcome 2017," Raai Laxmi says.
It's the first time that Raai Laxmi has worked with Chiranjeevi and the actor confesses to meeting him for the first time just moments before she was about to shoot the song in Hyderabad.
Raai Laxmi had replaced Catherine Tresa, who was supposed to be part of the song; however, a last minute change in the plan paved way for Raai Laxmi to come on board.
"I was supposed to go for a shoot in Dubai, but when I got a call to be part of the song, I postponed everything else and flew to Hyderabad. I had absolutely no idea what the song was, what my costumes were going to be and whether they'll fit me well or not, and I didn't even rehearse," she recalls.
With Lawrence Raghavendra donning the hat of a choreographer after a long gap for a song featuring Chiranjeevi, anything less than 'best' would be a big no-no. "I knew that Lawrence would kill me if I didn't match Chiranjeevi's grace and energy in the song," Raai Laxmi laughs.
Over the years, she recalls watching several hit songs of Chiranjeevi and one of the songs - Aata Kavala, Pata Kavala (from Chiranjeevi's Annayya), got her grooving.
"I never dreamt that one day I would be working with Chiranjeevi garu. He's a thorough gentleman. Now that I've worked with both Pawan Kalyan and Chiranjeevi, I must admit that chivalry is in their blood. The moment I walked into the sets of Khaidi No 150, the first thing Chiranjeevi sir told me was, 'Laxmi. Please let us know whatever you want. This is my production and it's my responsibility that you are taken care of.' Honestly, I never had to ask for anything. They got to know that I was on a special diet consisting of salads and from the next day, my food came from Chiranjeevi's home," Raai Laxmi gushes.
She added, "I even tried the famous Chiranjeevi dosa and true to its reputation, it just melted in my mouth. My biggest problem when I come to Hyderabad is to stop my food cravings (laughs). Shooting for Khaidi No 150 has, by far, been my best experience in Telugu cinema and dancing with Chiranjeevi was the experience of a lifetime for me. I would love to work with the production house again."
Ask her what the vibe was like on the sets of the song, Raai Laxmi recalls Chiranjeevi advising her to watch the film in one of the smaller cities or towns in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
"Lawrence used to joke that people wouldn't see the visuals of the song for at least four days because the colour papers that fans would throw would touch the roof every single time. And Chiranjeevi too told me to try watching the film in a B or C centre to get the true feel of the jubilation. I've never done that. Maybe, I should try it out to see the crowd's reaction," she says.
"The best thing about him (Chiranjeevi) was that he never made me feel out of place throughout the shoot. He would keep motivating me and complimenting me. It really meant a lot to me when I heard all those things from him. He's got some charm which I can't put it in words,” smiles Raai Laxmi.