When I listen to the story, I imagine playing the character. I just recreate what is in my mind on set. I don’t go in for references.I am very excited about ‘Shyam Singha Roy’.So many Bengalis are waiting for our movie. The Bengali punch line in the trailer has clicked with them. Many non-Telugus think that I am a Bengali!
It’s true that ‘SSR’ is the costliest film in my career. The budget of my movies kept on increasing over the years. Every time, they were costly at the given point of time for my market. The budget for my upcoming movies will be more than that of ‘SSR’. Non-theatrical deals of ‘SSR’ have been solid. The producer is happy. Risk-taking is always there. ‘Dasara’ might turn out to be more expensive than ‘SSR’.
‘Tuck Jagadish’ was a purely Telugu entertainer. I wouldn’t have made them in other languages. But subjects like ‘SSR’ and ‘Dasara’ have a wider appeal. If we have a strong story, a film will become pan-India automatically. You don’t have to make efforts to push the boundaries.’Dasara’ is a raw and rustic movie. It is going to give you goosebumps from start to end. A never-heard-before subject in Telugu is at its core. I will be mouthing authentic, local dialect
Krithi Shetty is new and she behaves like an enthusiastic student. She always tries to improve herself. Sai Pallavi and I had a limited number of scenes in ‘MCA’. Those four scenes clicked with the audience thoroughly. Unlike ‘MCA’, ‘SSR’ is intense and has got whole different beats. She is always ready for distinct roles. She has shouldered more responsibility here.
For period films, you need a strong team of excellent production designers, costume designers, choreographers, and all. ‘Shyam Singha Roy’ is going to transport you to 1970s Bengal. I didn’t put on weight for the character Shyam. The technicians worked meticulously. They did extensive pre-production works even with respect to the costumes of junior artists. About 200 of them wear specific costumes. A look test was done and auditions held.
Amazon Prime is happy with the response for ‘V’ and ‘Tuck Jagadish’, which were direct OTT releases. As per their policy, they don’t reveal the numbers. But they conveyed to us that the films have done very well!
