Director Radha Krishna Kumar is confident about 'Radhe Shyam' clicking well with the audience because of its plot point, visuals, lead pair, etc.
In this interview, the director of the March 11th release talks about the film, working with Prabhas, choosing Pooja Hegde, what is unique about the pan-India release, another trailer, whether Mahesh Babu is narrating the story, and more.
After 'Jil', I was signed up by UV Creations. Before I became a director, I worked under Chandrasekhar Yeleti garu for years some 18 years back. We worked on a line together but couldn't conclude it. But the idea stayed with me. I approached Yeleti garu saying that I want to take it up further. In six months, I could crack the script. The idea was pitched to the producers of 'Radhe Shyam' and Prabhas garu later. He is an exciting person from which we can learn child-like vibes.
Even during the making of 'Baahubali', we knew that the scale of 'Radhe Shyam' would be massive. I was not intimidated by the high budget. I am lucky to have known Prabhas garu and worked with him.
Prabhas garu was very excited about the story. I was confident that he would surely like the story but I was not sure whether he would do it. He listened to the narration for 2.5 hours. He likes to try new stories and looks.
The film was planned to be made in the backdrop of a hill station. After the project got bigger, a foreign backdrop was chosen. We chose Europe because it's more friendly. We shot the film in countries like Italy, Austria, and Georgia.
When the pandemic started, everyone was paranoid that someone sneezing in your presence might put your life in danger! We were shooting in Georgia when flights were being cancelled by various countries. We struggled to reach India. I and my cameraman caught Covid-19 later.
Prabhas garu was the first choice for the story. At that time, he was looking for a love story.
Cherio, a European astrologer, was quite famous in the 19th century. He had learned palmistry from Indian yogis in the Himalayas and would tell astrology only to heavyweights/VIPs. The lead character in 'Radhe Shyam' is inspired by him. I have also included a couple of real incidents in the film. What I believe is what the summary of the film is.
I know people who are so very particular about muhurtham and astrological predictions. They don't even talk with someone if they believe they are bad for them. Is astrology right or wrong? This is a question that has been asked for millennia. There are several mystical and proud observations in Indian scriptures. Modern science has arrived at them only in recent centuries. The underlying question is: how could they stumble upon mysterious facts millennia ago.
Casting Krishnam Raju garu was not my initial choice. Covid and a few other aspects influenced me. Eventually, I liked casting him. It was an emotional choice as far as Prabhas garu is concerned. His is a special appearance.
We shot the climax on a set in Ramoji Film City. It's up to 20 minutes. We shot at Annapurna Studios as well. Just because there is a ship in a poster, it can't be called the Titanic influence.
Bhagyashree garu started accepting movies when we were looking for someone who could play the mother's character well. She was excited to start her new innings in a Prabhas garu movie. She has played his mother.
The conflict plot point in 'Radhe Shyam' is entirely unique. It's not of the kind you have seen before.
I came across Pooja Hegde during an event at a star hotel in Hyderabad. She is very pretty and I felt that she would suit the film perfectly.
Amitabh Bachchan garu's voice is only for the Hindi version. For other languages, we will be picking other actors for the narration part. There is no truth in the rumour that Mahesh Babu garu is the narrator for the Telugu version.
Pressure is a part and parcel of my job. We wanted to shoot 'Saaho' and 'Radhe Shyam' simultaneously. But 'Saaho' got delayed because of the scale of the Abu Dhabi schedule. Covid-19 happened and the shoot got delayed further. Fans were asking for updates but I was not even active on social media.
I have no plans for my next project. Offers are coming my way. But I am being practical. I haven't taken up anything as yet.
One of the best things to happen to 'Radhe Shyam' is that Taman garu is composing the BGM. He has made an emotional study of the film. He knows the emotional highs and lows. His BGM will be uplifting.
The Hindi version has got multiple music directors working on the songs because of the T-Series tradition. For the South Indian versions, all the songs are by Justin Prabhakaran. The songs have been shot in Hindi uniquely to suit the tempo of the songs there. The Hindi version is two minutes longer.
There will be another trailer before the release of 'Radhe Shyam'. The story is the biggest highlight of the movie. Prabhas garu and his image are an asset definitely. There is visual poetry that the audience are surely going to enjoy.
We have never seen a palmist as the lead man in any film. That's an exciting premise. Also, some real-life incidents have been narrated and they are exciting. 'Radhe Shyam' may not be a mass film but it has a universal plot point. Its emotions are appealing and the aspect of predicting the future is thrilling in its own right.
Prabhas garu and Pooja are the best-looking pair out there. Their heights, their chemistry, their looks.. they are very good at performing romance.
VFX is a separate chapter. Kamal Kannan garu is the VFX supervisor and has been coordinating with technicians/artists in 12 countries, including Ukraine.
