We’ve created a magic with Couple Friendly : Manasa Varanasi

Santosh Soban stars as the hero in the film Couple Friendly, with Manasa Varanasi playing the female lead. Presented by the renowned production house UV Creations, the film is being grandly produced in Telugu and Tamil under the UV Concepts banner. Ajay Kumar Raju P is the co-producer, and the film is directed by Ashwin Chandrasekhar. Touted as a musical romantic love story, Couple Friendly is set to release in Telugu and Tamil on February 14, coinciding with Valentine’s Day. Passionate producer and distributor Dheeraj Mogilineni is releasing the film in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. In a recent interview, Manasa Varanasi shared the highlights of the film.

– Couple Friendly is just hours away from release. We worked on this film for several months, so we’re all very excited that it’s finally hitting the screens. We’ve been eagerly waiting for this moment. After Devaki Nandana Vasudeva, I had a short gap as I was waiting for the right project. I received a call from the UV banner, heard the script, and gave an audition. When I met the director and the team, I realized how passionate they were about filmmaking. I understood that they wanted to create something magical.

– In the film, I play a character named Mithra. She is a fun-loving, talkative girl who acts on her impulses and constantly comes up with new ideas. Mithra comes from a middle-class family, completes her degree, and moves to Chennai in search of a job. She has a catchphrase, “Chepta Chepta,” which you’ll hear several times in the movie.

– Usually, in love stories, we see a boy and girl meet and fall in love. But Couple Friendly does not follow that routine pattern. Shiva and Mithra come from completely different worlds, have different goals, and move to Chennai from different towns. Even their meeting itself feels rare. I have never tried living together in my real life, but in this film, we explore that concept in a fresh way. Today’s youth think very smartly; they carefully consider what is right or wrong before making decisions.

– I hope this movie brings great success to both me and Santosh Soban. He is a wonderful co-star. We even conducted workshops for this film. He is extremely passionate about cinema. When your co-star performs with dedication, it naturally energizes you as well. He is also very fun on set. The movie has many entertaining moments, and Mithra’s character will definitely make you laugh.

– I don’t understand why the censor board objected to the title Couple Friendly. The phrase can have many meanings. If taken positively, it simply suggests that Shiva and Mithra are a couple who are friendly with each other. Along with youth, the film has elements that will appeal to family audiences too. It is designed to connect with everyone.

– Not everyone who wins beauty pageants enters the film industry; many choose different professions. However, during preparation for beauty pageants, we become comfortable in front of cameras, which naturally draws us toward a film career. Miss India winners do not receive prize money but are provided facilities like gym training, hairstyling, and dance classes for a year. I started getting film offers while preparing for Miss India, but I didn’t fully understand it at the time. I thought films were coming my way because I was preparing for pageants. After returning from Miss World, my interest in the film industry grew stronger. I began attending auditions and listening to scripts. When I decided to enter films, my family was worried. In middle-class families, there is often fear about sending a daughter into an unfamiliar industry. They worry about whom to trust and who will support her. My family had similar concerns.

– There are a few intimate scenes in the film. When the story was narrated, I was informed that it was a love story with two kissing scenes. Initially, I was hesitant. However, the DOP, director, and Santosh, along with the entire team, were very professional and honest. I was confident that the scenes would not be portrayed in a vulgar manner. They created a comfortable environment for me. Santosh was very friendly, and as the team was striving to create magic, I felt I too should remain professional as an actor. The romantic scenes have been shot beautifully and poetically. In my view, glamour does not mean exposure. After the teaser and trailer were released, my family initially felt uncomfortable and questioned how I could do such scenes coming from the Varanasi family. Later, they began to understand and support me.

– Shooting in Chennai using guerrilla-style filmmaking was a new experience. People would be walking around normally while we performed our scenes, sometimes without even knowing where the camera was placed. It felt refreshing as actors. Although our director is from Tamil Nadu, he knows Telugu well and wrote dialogues that suit both Telugu and Tamil sensibilities. I even tried dubbing in Tamil, but the director wasn’t satisfied with my accent. My next film will be in Kollywood. I am also listening to Telugu scripts and plan to choose my projects more carefully. I would love to do youthful entertainers that carry meaningful messages, as well as thriller mysteries, detective stories, romantic comedies, and feel-good films.