Koratala Siva’s stint as a writer helped him understand what works and what doesn’t for a story. His directorial debut vehicle Mirchi established his brand; his films drive across a strong message without sounding too preachy. His script is always the king, no matter how big the hero, as seen in Janatha Garage and Srimanthudu. In a chat with MetroPlus on the eve of the release of his Bharat Ane Nenu , the director talks of what went into making the film.
How did you think of Mahesh as a Chief Minister?
I was thinking about making a political film and this story was my friend (director and writer ) Srihari Nanu’s idea. He suggested Mahesh might be a good choice for this political story. We felt that if Mahesh becomes a CM, it will be a big story. For some actors, personal character and on-screen character is the same, others switch on and switch off in front of the camera. Offscreen, Mahesh is a bit like he is in Dhookudu but he tones down for characters when needed. I take note of small mannerisms and attitude of the actor as it is impossible to write a character sketch based on what we see of the actor at audio functions. The personal relationship and journey helps the director in writing.
Does your off-screen rapport help while you write the script?
Generally most of the actors trust their directors, otherwise the directors wouldn’t give them a chance. If it is a debut film, everyone feels it as a team work gets involved or interferes. Believing in the director is good but I think it is about believing the script. Both the director and actor trust the script and once that is locked, there will be no major doubts.
There is a lot of breathing space in your movies. Is it a conscious decision?
I go for major detailing as I want to sustain the emotion. If it is a scene it is for a minute or more and in that duration I should make the audience feel the way I do. Maybe because the type of stories I do these days, one feels there’s a lot of space.
There is a lot of content in Bharat Ane Nenu . Mahesh has no touch with politics, so I had to create a political atmosphere and make him understand in detail. I gave him a full narration — maybe a five hour story. I took my own time and explained everything and he too found it interesting. First half I told him on one day and the next half on the following day. It wasn’t a cut to cut narration though. At the end of the day he asked if we could have the entire stuff in the film and I laughed.
Will the Assembly debates in the film be as noisy as the ones we see on television?
The debates in Bharat Ane Nenu will be constructive and issue-based and I tried to give the best possible solutions too. There will be humour too in the Assembly. Since there is a risk of missing logic, I showed an undivided Andhra Pradesh. I made sure no character resembles anyone and there would be no satires on anyone. It is a complete fictional drama and each character has been designed interestingly and nothing related to real-time politics.
What kind of CM is Bharat?
There are many honest people and politicians. I am a fan of Vajpayee and Lal Bahadur Shastri. They appear soft but dare to take strong decisions, are well educated and incorruptable. Bharat doesn’t just treat CM’s post as a job, he is very responsible and does it with a conscience. Dressing is an individual’s choice. We did away with the regular whites but I was keen that the costume should suit his character. I have seen many politicians in colourful clothes. I could have made him wear suits too but that is not it. He should be dignified and at the same time show a style quotient. The name Bharat sounded very nice and positive, and I added Ram to make it sound complete.
Why this emphasis on the promise?
A promise is not just one word. When Bharat was small, his mother told him that if at all you promise, you should stick to your word. He never forgets that small incident. So what happens when such a person has to make a biggest promise of his life? If you are weak-minded, you shouldn’t promise. An oath by a Chief Minister is a promise, he meant every word in the oath. He wasn’t just reading it. Once upon a time there were monarchs and their word was gospel but now there is democracy and the beauty is you can elect your leader.
What about Kiara Advani?
I liked Kiara’s performance in Dhoni . She is part of a nice love story here. She adds a lot of freshness and fits the role perfectly.
