Director Sagar Chandra has an interesting title for his film — Appatlo Okkadundevadu . The film with Nara Rohith and Sri Vishnu playing the lead roles is a film set in the period between 1992 and 1996.
Sagar talks about his characters. “The role of Sri Vishnu is supposed to be of a good cricketer with a potential to play for Ranji but destiny has other plans. He’s forced to take to crime and becomes one of the biggest criminals inHyderabad. Nara Rohith’s role is similar to that of Duryodhana; he is Nooruddin Mohammed Imitiaz. In Mahabharata, Karna and Duryodhana are friends from the beginning, here they start as enemies and finally they redeem themselves. In the end they become friends.”
The director explores naxalism, cricket, mafia, globalisation and the psyche of Duryodhana and Karna in the film. There is no good and bad and people behave in a particular fashion because of their needs.
In their point of view they are right, and the title justifies the events and the person in the drama. Says Sagar, “Both Rohith and Vishnu get equal importance in the story. None in Telugu has attempted a story such as this.”
Sagar Chandra’s debut film Ayyare received critical acclaim.
He cites reasons for the delay in embarking on his next project Appatlo Okkadundevadu . “I was supposed to start another project but it got stalled due to state bifurcation. Meanwhile I came up with many corporate videos and ads. Ayyare did not work at the BO; due to unnecessary controversies (involving a Godman), it backfired. People started noticing only after it came on television. PK and OMG that came later had similar concepts, I had dealt with this two years earlier. It was made with a small budget and was a break-even project as the market for satellite rights at that point of time was quite good.”
He adds, “In 1992, the culture of erecting huge Ganesha idols in every colony began and the size would grow each year and with it the economics too. In 1994, there was liquor prohibition, CMs and police chiefs, civil servants changed frequently, in 95 there was a spurt in apartments. We made Sri Vishnu travel through all these phases. The film will take you back to a turbulent 90s when there was anarchy. I wanted to deal with a serious subject with some creative liberty.”
Sai Karthik has scored the music, and Navin Yadav of Yevade Subramnyam has cranked the camera and the film is expected later this summer.
