Anji (2004)
Cast & Crew:
- Director : Kodi Ramakrishna
- Producer : M Shyam Prasad Reddy
- Starring : Chiranjeevi, Namrata Shirodkar, MS Narayana, Tinu Anand, Bhupinder Singh
- Cinematography : Chota K. Naidu
- Editor : K. V. Krishna Reddy
- Music : Mani Sharma
- Release date : 15 January 2004
- Running time : 148 minutes
Plot :
Veerendra Bhatia is in search of Aatma Linga, which has some divine powers. Every 72 years, the Akasha Ganga flows from the sky to Aatma Linga, and those who drink the holy water will become immortal. In his first attempt, Bhatia fails to obtain possession of Aatma Linga. Time progresses, and Bhatia, now 99 years old, again tries to get hold of Aatma Linga, but a good samaritan, Anji, causes an intervention.
Chiranjeevi wore the torn shirt from the climax scene for three years without washing it.
The film had five music directors: Ilayaraja, Koti, Mani Sharma, Sri, and Vidya Sagar. Each song was assigned to a different music director.
The opening scene, where a statue is stolen, took one and a half months to shoot, while the interval scene took 40 days.
The Anji team shot the climax for six months and later traveled to London for additional shots.
Anji was the first Indian movie to use 3D animation and spent over 10 crores on VFX, earning it the National Film Award for Best Special Effects, a first for a Telugu film.
Awards
National Film Awards:
- Best Special Effects: Sanath (First Telugu film to win an award in this category)
Nandi Awards:
- Best Cinematographer: Chota K. Naidu
- Best Makeup Artist: Chandra Rao