On the brink of Gautamiputra Satakarni ’s release, when you see Nandamuri Balakrishna and Shriya Saran briefing a handful of journalists at Hotel Daspalla, what you spot are two relaxed and assured actors, confident of their efforts. Both being history graduates, they are thrilled the film connects to the nation’s roots. The research of late writer/researcher Parabrahma Sastry, findings by historians Krishna Sastry, Anjaneyulu (who worked as professors and in museums) laid a foundation to revisit the Satavahana era.
“Frankly, I knew little about Gautamiputra.. before we commenced shoot. It’s high time we celebrate our history and retell it for the next generation. The past gives us a structure of how we were, we are and we shall be in the future. I was very impressed by Krish’s detailing, he gave me a nearly six-hour narration,” says Shriya, adding she didn’t take long to sign the project. She’d played a princess in a Kannada film Chandralekha , but playing a character from history is a first for her. She was overwhelmed by conversations her co-actors Balakrishna and Hema Malini shared on mythology and history on sets.
“All that we dug into, came from archaeological findings and sasanams (inscriptions). We worked together to decode whatever we could and give the ruler’s history some shape. Amaravati being AP’s capital, Krish coming to me just as I was making up my mind for my 100th film, antha yadhrucchikanga aipoyindi (it all happened by coincidence),” Balakrishna shares. Choosing Krish for the landmark film was a calculated decision. There were many directors, big and small, who had narrated stories for the landmark project. “Most of them were narrating their previous stories again. But if you look at Krish and the five films he has done so far, you see diversity from one project to another,” the 56-year-old mentions.
Shriya and Balakrishna who’re returning as an on-screen pair after 15 years (their Chennakesava Reddy was in 2002) look back at the shoot where some things weren’t exactly planned. For instance, while Shriya was practicing for a scene with Hema Malini, it suddenly started raining and Krish felt it would form a wonderful backdrop to an emotional scene. In another scene when Balakrishna wished there was sunshine, Krish liked the mist at locations in Georgia and Morocco.
Gautamiputra Satakarni’s era forms an interesting backdrop for the fact that woman did have a voice of their own, as glimpsed from the trailers where Vashishti Devi questions Satakarni’s need to take their child along for a war. “She’s not afraid to be her natural self. I felt more like Vashishti Devi as the shoot went on. After the film was complete, it took me some time to realise I won’t be part of the set again,” recalls Shriya. “There’s no Gautamiputra Satakarni without Vashishti and Gautami Balasiri, you must see it to believe the value added by Hema Malini garu and Shriya,” compliments Balakrishna.
With a lot weighing upon the project, things worked with great precision on sets, so the shoot didn’t extend a day beyond 90 odd days. The mix of nervousness and excitement that enveloped the sets was good for everyone, feels Balakrishna. The right sankalpam meant that Shiv Rajkumar whose family has never acted in a language beyond Kannada agreed to do the film, Balakrishna remarks. “It was morning when I requested him to act in our film and by 5 pm, he assured me he was acting in it.”
Lot of people ask Shriya if she’s friends with her co-stars. Both Balakrishna and Shriya concur that it’s the trust and coordination for a shot that matters more.
The Gautamiputra Satakarni team isn’t perturbed that four films are releasing for this Sankranti as they feel the success of the films would only benefit the industry on the whole. “We know what it takes to make a film, so you end up only wishing good for everyone, but you wish something better happens to you,” Shriya giggles as they wind up.
