In a surprising revelation, director Anil Ravipudi shared a previously undisclosed family connection with star heroine Sreeleela. During a recent interview, the director and the sensational actress disclosed that their relationship goes beyond the typical director-actress dynamic.
It turns out that Anil Ravipudi’s hometown and Sreeleela’s mother, Dr. Swarna’s hometown, a village named Ponguluru near Ongole, are the same. Although Sreeleela was raised in Bangalore and the USA, she consistently visited her grandmother’s house in Ponguluru every year.
It was while working on the film “Bhagwant Kesari,” where Sreeleela plays Nandamuri Balakrishna’s daughter under Anil Ravipudi’s direction, that they discovered their familial connection.
On the film sets, Sreeleela addresses Anil as ‘director gaaru’ in front of everyone but affectionately calls him ‘maama’ (uncle) when they’re among close acquaintances. This unique bond comes from the fact that Sreeleela’s mother is a cousin sister to Anil Ravipudi.