Shiva Nirvana made his debut with a splash with his story revolving primarily around just three people in Ninnu Kori . The character driven story had drama, emotion and the right amount of laughter thrown in. A year and a half later, he returns with Majili that is set to release on April 5. This time he roped in real-life couple Samantha and Naga Chaitanya to play wife and husband in a story that is set against a middle class family in a residential colony. Ask Shiva Nirvana why he took so long to go to the sets, he reels off the reasons, “I write stories fast, in fact I took three months to write two stories but things did not move as the combinations of actors and their dates didn’t happen. Actually, I don’t think of the producer and the cast first... I feel the story decides it. By the time I came back wrapping my script, none had bulk dates. I pitched the story to Chaitanya and Samantha who I felt is the right choice.”
Director Shiva Nirvana on the sets
Shiva makes it clear he doesn’t like repeating genres, it simply doesn’t excite him. He’d return to a love story probably after completing three various subjects. In Majili ’s case, he didn’t glorify love or middle class set up. The film he says is as simple as watching a couple’s life without their knowledge. The wife will be working, husband is a drunkard, yet there is fun, conflict and emotions. It is an after-marriage story that takes place in Gnanapuram. There is no separation and it is mostly emotional. Since Samantha and Naga Chaitanya were seen in urbane films like Ye Maya Chesave and Manam , Shiva wanted to treat this one differently in a de glamorised set up. There is a third character Divyansha Kaushik who’ll be seen romancing Chaitanya when he is in his Twenties. His character has three shades; in his 20s and mid 30s.
Shiva says while in Ninnu Kori , he was lauded for his easy and smooth writing and heart-warming conversations, here in Majili the audience will be taken by surprise. The dialogues are very simple. He adds, “For any love story to be successful, the writing should be straight and simple. The situations that arise during pre climax will be a treat to watch. Especially there is an episode where after a conflict, one of the characters attempts to reconcile. The first move to cause peace is hilarious. I liked seeing them (Chaitanya and Samantha) both in that scene, they did very well. I think I made a good film and I can make one only if the plot excites me.”
Rao Ramesh and Posani Murali Krishna play parents and at least 70 % of the film is shot in Visakhapatnam.
The trailer of the film has received huge response. The scene has Samantha holding an umbrella for Chaitanya in the rain while he tries to light a cigarette. “ love lo aa stupidity untundi ’, laughs Shiva.
There are less dialogues in the film and one will see more of expressions and the BGM by Gopi Sunder will add value to the story, adds the director, and explains the title, “Majili is a halt in a journey. It is a resting place, lot of people asked me if it is Samantha’s name. We heard of Kasi Majili Kathalu in our childhood. Kings would ride on horses and would rest at few places and story narrations would take place there in those junctions. In our film too, there are many stops in the character’s life. The story happens at that point.”
