Reaching the unreachable
M.L. NARASIMHAM
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Puri Jagannath has donned one more mantle of an action director for `Deshamudhuru.'
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SIMPLE AND CREATIVE Hansika and Allu Arujun in the film.
His style of narrative is simple and creative. He takes up simple themes, creating a feeling of déjà vu with a stunningly innovative narrative, to make the audience pay attention till the last. Puri Jagannath who generally writes the story, screenplay, dialogue for his directorial ventures donned one more mantle of an action director on the sets of Universal Media's maiden venture, Deshamudhuru.
At the Dargah area near Toli Chowk on the outskirts of Hyderabad, a special set was created resembling a toddy shop. The hero Allu Arjun, antagonist Ajay and a few `ruffians' were on location. An argument leads to a fight and the hero takes on Ajay and his goons single-handedly under the watchful eyes of the director. The word `cut' is followed by a satisfactory smile from Jagan. The actors retire to their chairs to relax for a while.
"The scene involves a small scuffle so I managed to compose it," says Jagan. Vijayan is the official fights director for the film. "Ever since I worked with him in Pokiri I struck a good rapport with Vijayan. We vibe well and he has composed six thrilling action episodes that gel with the story." The actors gather again at the shooting spot. They rehearse the next step in the scuffle drama. Allu Arjun plays Bala Govind, a programme director for a private satellite channel, we are told.
"The role requires an intelligent, smart and sharp person. I designed the protagonist's character after watching the body language of Bunny (Allu Arjun)," says the director. The story idea of a guy falling in love with a sanyasin, he says, was struck 10 years ago when he visited a Jain temple in the city. "There I saw a young sanyasin just out of her teens. She was so beautiful that I wondered why she renounced materialistic life. Any man would die to marry such a beauty. A crazy thought occurred to me what if a guy falls in love with her and wins over... I am an avid reader of philosophy and monastery. These factors, the sanyasin I saw at the temple and the books I read made me write a story," Jagan shares the story behind the story as he monitors the scene being shot from his chair as the scuffle is coming to an end.
"Hansika plays Vaishali, the sanyasin in Himachal Pradesh. On a travel show for his channel, the hero visits the place and falls in love with her and the subsequent incidents lead to an intense and interesting action filled love story. We shot for 45 days in Kullu - Manali and Spiti. It is a beautiful place," says Jagan.
Spiti is locally prounced as `Piti' meaning middle country. The river spiti flows amidst the nature's splendour. The ambience suited Jagan's film as Spiti is centre of several monasteries. The majority of population is Buddhists who are followers of the Geluk-Pa sect. The place is also known as the `fossils park of the world.'
"For all the seeming bleakness Spiti possesses a haunting beauty and it is more satisfying when we knew that we were the first film unit from the south to film there," informs Jagan. Chakri has scored the music. "We are working together after a gap of three films," smiles the director.
After completing the day's work, the unit is leaving for Vizag to film the remaining song on the lead pair.
The audio release is on December 23" says Puri Jagannath. Produced by D.V.V. Danayya and J. Bhagawan the film opens on January12.
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