Doyen D Rama Naidu, who won critical acclaim for his offbeat film, Harivillu, is now preparing for the release of his much-awaited full-blown entertainer, Vijayam.

The man with the Midas touch, at least as far as blockbusters are concerned, is determined to regain his winning streak. He has roped in seasoned director Singeetham Srinivasa Rao to helm the project. Up-and-coming artistes Raja and Gajala play the main lead.

"Vijayam is a beautiful love story with an interesting message," says the veteran filmmaker. "It is about a tribal who progresses in life because of his perseverance."

In order to give the film an authentic feel, and depict the tribal lifestyle realistically, Vijayam was extensively shot in a forest near the Araku Valley in Vizag.

"It is an ideal location for our subject," says Rao, who hopes Vijayam will be his long-overdue Telugu hit.

Rao is also bent on proving that romance is not the purview of youth and that older directors can handle teenage romances. "I am young at heart," he says.

Naidu admits, "Many discouraged me when I mentioned Rao's name." Naidu, however, preferred to go with Rao, who belongs to the old school where the script is soul of the film.

"We discussed every dialogue in the film before we commenced shooting," says Naidu, whose last release, Nee Premakai, was a debacle.

"I am making it under lot of pressure," he agrees, while comparing his present lean phase to the one that preceded his seventies blockbuster, Prem Nagar.

"We have packed Vijayam with good comedy and other ingredients to make it a winner," says a confident Rao, who is now busy giving the film its finishing touches.

Actor Raja of O chinadana fame believes Vijayam will establish him as a good actor, while Gajala describes it as an interesting film.

It remains to be seen whether Vijayam with bring back Naidu's golden touch and cheer the Telugu film industry that is reeling under the colossal flop of actor Pawan Kumar's 21 crore (Rs 210 million) directorial debut, Johnny.