Not a sting operation
M.L. NARASIMHAM
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"Operation Duryodhana's" aim is to make people think.
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WOOING PEOPLE `Operation Duryodhana' is wholesome entertainment with a strong message.
A huge basti set is created at the sprawling Ramoji Film City for Aman International Movies' maiden venture, Operation Duryodhana written and directed by Posani Krishna Murali. Looks like a celebration time for the bastiwallahs as hundreds of them flock to the streets raising slogans welcoming hero Srikanth. Clad in khadi silk, a garland adorning his neck, Srikanth looks different from his earlier screen appearances. He listens to an assistant director reading him the dialogue. Just while ago, the director explained the scene to him and discussed his behaviour for that particular block.
The shoot commences and the crowd requests him to implement the promises he had made to them earlier. With a benign smile on his face and with folded hands, like a true politician, he greets them first and then says his dialogue.
The group who voted for him en mass are shocked at his reply. After a couple of takes the director is finally satisfied with the expressions of the junior actors (the bastiwallahs). The name Operation Duryodhana sounds like some sting operation, we enquire. "No such thing. The only operation we have in mind is to cleanse the minds of the people while we entertain them for a little over two hours," smiles the director. "This scene will reveal you the concept. This basti has about 40,000 voters. The politician who can woo them can win any election. It is pretty well known now how they can be wooed and how the votes are being purchased. We gave a twist to this marketing of votes that I wouldn't like to reveal now. Watch it on the big screen it will make you laugh and also make you think. Our aim is to make people think. It is not anymore Yadha Raja Thadha praja. Today it is the other way round. No point in just blaming the politicians for corrupt practices. Who elected them? It is the people. And who cast the votes most.It is the economically lower classes from the society. So a change should occur in them first to have a better governance and better living conditions," explains Krishna Murali.
The shoot commences again. Srikanth asks the bastiwallahs a huge sum to implement the promises he had made to them during the ampaign and tells them why he needs the money. The bastiwallahas murmur with a note of disbelief. All along they know only how to take the sops and vote and they have never faced a situation like this. "Srikanth is the new MLA and he has a goal set for himself while entering politics," smiles Krishna Murali.
The writer-director is known for his power-packed police stories. "You don't miss that here. Srikanth is a police officer with a wife (played by Kalyani) and four children. There is a strong reason for him to don the khadi. We have other police officers, Nagababu is an honest ACP, Jackie plays a DSP and ETV Prabhakar an SI. Mumaith Khan plays a key role to as a political leader. Srilekha composed the music for the three songs — an item number on Mumaith, a background song and the hero's introduction song," informs the director.
Most of the film's shoot took place at Rajupeta in Nalgonda district with the cooperation of ex-minister Mothkupalli Narasimhulu, MLA Komati Reddy Venkata Reddy and at a real police station with local SP Mahesh Bhargav lending a helping hand.
"It is wholesome entertainment with a strong message," signs off Posani Krishna Murali.
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