Riding Maharadhi hopes
M.L NARASIMHAN
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After `Chandramukhi's' success there is high expectations at the B-O.
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ACTOR'S DIRECTOR P. Vasu on the sets of Maharadhi.
When a director makes the biggest grosser in South Indian cinematic history, his next film rouses a certain expectation. After the hugely successful Chandramukhi, P. Vasu's Maharadhi is set to be released on Jan 10. He says the film is special to him as he made his debut in Telugu with a Balakrishna starrer, Sahasame Jeevitham, two decades ago. That was Balakrishna's debut film too as a lead star. In a free-wheeling chat, Vasu talks about his early years in cinema, his views and about his forthcoming film.
"I made my debut with a Kannada film, Kathanayaka with Vishnuvardhan as the hero. The complement that I really cherish is that of N.T. R. after he watched my debut film, Sahasame Jeevitham (1984) which I directed along with my friend Bharathi. It was Balakrishna's first film as a hero. N.T.R. was the Chief Minister then. I approached him for Balakrishna's dates. He gave me an appointment at 4 a.m. I did not sleep the whole night. He heard the story and said, `you have a bright future.' I was on cloud nine.
"After two decades I am working With Balakrishna again. He has remained the same sweet person and a dedicated actor any director would love to work with. If he bashes up 25 people on screen, it looks natural. But I am presenting him from a totally different angle in Maharadhi bringing out yet another facet of this talented actor."
On his technique
"The strong points are story and screenplay. I believe they are the winners. I never use colours in sentimental or in sad scenes. I use sober backdrop to enhance the scene. It is not technical wizardry that decides a film's success, it is the content and how one handles it."
Past and present
" I wished to do lot of things in my life. I wished to become a film hero. But I ended up becoming a director though later I have acted in character roles and as a villain in Tamil and Telugu (Seemasimham) films. I wanted to study at the Don Bosco School in Chennai, but I was not selected. Then I wanted to do my graduation through Loyola College, again I could not get a seat. My son Shakthi got a seat at Don Bosco, in Loyola College where he had done his MBA. So now I am launching him as a hero with Thottal poo malarum. Every scene in the film will look natural and his age." "Maharadhi is a film for family audience. There are surprises in store for the audience. Till now they have seen Kovai Sarala in comedy roles. She plays the hero's mother in an entirely different role. Jayaprada returns to Telugu films in a crucial role and for the first time Balakrishna is acting with his father's heroine!"
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