Has Dharma Teja given up on romantic genre?

He made successful Telugu romantic films such as "Jayam", "Chitram" and "Nuvvu Nenu". However, cinematographer-turned-director Dharma Teja has moved away from his favourite theme as his upcoming film "1000 Abaddhalu" is based on an ancient Telugu legend.

"I wouldn't say I have given up on the idea of romance. I will revisit it in the future, but currently I'm busy concentrating on my upcoming film based on a proverb with regards to Indian weddings. The proverb says that to materialise a marriage, one can tell 1000 lies," Teja told IANS.

"What happens when one of the characters decides to use the proverb literally? This forms the rest of the story," he added.

Sairam Shankar and Esther play the lead in the film, which also features Nagababu, Kondavalasa, Hema and Babu Mohan.

Sunitha Paladugu has produced the film, which has music by Ramana Gogula. The film is likely to hit theatres during summer.

Queried why the sudden shift from the genre, he said: "Audiences are looking for different kind of films, and as a filmmaker I need to respect that. Following the response to my last film, I set out to do something off the beaten path."

Teja's last Telugu outing "Neeku Naaku Dash Dash", a teen-romantic thriller, was a disaster at the box-office.