Director Anil Ravipudi: We've gone through a lot in these two years, just watch F3 and relax!

F3, the comic caper, written and directed by Anil Ravipudi is ready to hit theatres on May 27. Venkatesh, Varun Tej, Tamannaah Bhatia, Mehreen Pirzada play the leads in the film, while Sonal Chauhan too will be seen in a crucial role. Produced by Shirish and presented by Dil Raju under Sri Venkateswara Creations, the film has music by Devi Sri Prasad. The entire cast and crew of the film, excepting Tamannaah (who is at the Cannes fest), took part in the film's pre-release event in Hyderabad. In the event, Anil Ravipudi was at his candid best, offering a glimpse into the making of the entertainer.

"The biggest enemy while making F3 for us was F2. F2 was loved by one and all and we had to live upto the expectations of audiences. We thought of the story in March 2020 and braved past three waves of the pandemic to bring the film to you on May 27. It's easy to have a good laugh always but never easy to write or make a comedy film. I must thank my entire direction, writing department for tolerating me over two years to make F3," Anil Ravipudi said.

"My F3 producers Dil Raju and Shirish are like family to me and they've been so cooperative for every step I've taken in my career. I'll continue to make films for their banner in the future too. Shirish (sir) was a source of great energy for us; he was literally on a laugh-athon, regardless of being on set or watching the film on the edit table. 80% of the cast of F2 has been retained for the sequel," he added.

While crediting his cast and other crew, he mentioned, "I am grateful to all the 30-35 artistes who've worked on F3, right from Venkatesh (garu) to Varun Tej, Tamannaah, Mehreen and every other supporting actor including Sunil, Ali, Pragathi Suresh, Y Vijaya, Annapurnamma. The support they've given me on the set is unmatched; having to deal with 35 artistes for a scene wouldn't have been easy otherwise. I thank Devi Sri Prasad for understanding the soul of the film and delivering a superb score and album."

On a parting note, he shared, "Varun Tej, in a role where he had to stammer throughout the film, has given one of his best performances. Venkatesh is a star hero, but he keeps his image on the backseat to perform comedy. It takes someone so secure to do that. We all went through a lot in these two years, just watch F3 and relax; it's my promise, you'll be entertained. Also, F3 isn't merely a comic entertainer; there's something deep in it."