Udaya Bhanu Says 'Panchanama' Is The Realisation Of Her 15 Year Dream

Udaya Bhanu is making her debut as a producer with 'Panchanama', the upcoming Telugu investigative thriller that premieres on ZEE5 on September 11. The six episode series combines crime, mystery and emotional drama, with Bharath Srinivasan playing police officer Jai Ram, who investigates his younger brother’s death after it is initially treated as an accident. The probe gradually leads him towards a larger criminal network connected to a series of mysterious deaths.

Speaking at the preview event in Hyderabad on September 9, Udaya Bhanu said 'Panchanama' is the realisation of a dream she has carried for nearly 15 years. She thanked ZEE5 and Anu ma’am for trusting her with the project and said the experience had made her determined to continue producing stories and supporting new talent.

Udaya Bhanu revealed that the series was completed in just 22 to 24 days, despite involving 36 locations, changing sets and unpredictable weather. She said producing a web series requires detailed planning and that every minute matters when working with such a tight schedule.

She also revealed that the team initially pitched three original stories to ZEE5. The platform suggested starting with a remake, after which the team developed a fresh narrative while retaining the core murder mystery and fingerprint elements of the original story.

The producer said the first two episodes only set up the story, with the main narrative beginning from the third episode. She described the series as an emotional story in which every character has a strong backstory and a reason behind their actions.

Director Mohan Srivatsa said the non-linear screenplay keeps the suspense unpredictable while adding strong emotional elements to the crime narrative. Writer Nagendra Pilla, DOP Sandeep Kanth.N, editor Srinivas Bainaboyina and music director Naresh Kumaran are part of the technical team.

Bharath Srinivasan said 'Panchanama' is among the fastest projects he has completed in his 24-year career. He praised the director’s clarity and said he chose the Telugu series because of its interesting story.

Udaya Bhanu also revealed that her next project will be a film. Meanwhile, 'Panchanama' will stream exclusively on ZEE5 from September 11.