Nandini Reddy says that 'Anni Manchi Sakunamule' ('AMS' from now) is a detailed family drama involving two feuding families. The film will hit the cinemas on May 18 (Thursday).
In this interview, she talks about her actors and producers, particularly the much-vaunted climax. "The film's climax is my career's best one. So far, about 20-30 people have watched the film, including CBFC members. Everyone felt the last 20 minutes are superb," she says.
The film starts with a tragedy but the same turns out to be a blessing in disguise eventually. That's why the title of the film is 'Anni Manchi Shakunamule'. Recently, I was interacting with social media influencers. Some of them jumped into this field after they lost jobs during Covid-19. They have realized that the job loss turned out to be a blessing.
The primary characters in 'AMS' are seven in number. None of them is in the background. Usually, family dramas have space for the lead pair and their parents. In the case of 'Bommarillu', we knew how the father behaved with his son. How about his behaviour with the rest of the characters? That was not explored. In 'AMS', you see everything getting tied up. The backstory of the village (the fictional Victoriapuram bordering AP and TN), the many characters and their persuasions, everything has been detailed.
The film was shot in the hill station Coonoor. When 'Hum Aapke Hain Kaun' was released, many joked that it was like a wedding reel. But the audience loved how every character, including the cook, was written and portrayed. They could talk about each of the characters in the film at length. Every frame, every dialogue, and every scene is purposeful in 'AMS' in a similar way.
There is a coffee plantation that is owned by two families in 'AMS'. A fallout happens and a legal issue lingers on for decades. It's not a typical family feud where the villain is blood-curdling. It's something else. It's said that everyone is good/positive in my films (laughs).
It takes time to set up a story involving seven main characters. The audience must be drawn into the story for the pay-offs and the second half to work. I pack all the punches in the second half. That's what I did in the case of 'Oh Baby'. The humour quotient was packed in the first half. The second half has to go beyond - in terms of staging the conflict and its resolution.
Writer Lakshmi Bhupal is like my elder brother. He doesn't treat me like a director. He charges peanuts for my movies. It's a personal connection with him. No matter what I ask for, he is prompt in writing. He knows my working style and that I improvise. We have zero ego issues. That's why he is always my dialogue writer.
'AMS' is a completely fictional story. The coffee estate and the feud revolving around it were created by me. It's not based on a real-life story.
Sowkar Janaki garu was chosen because she has that stature. She is someone in front of whom someone like Rajendra Prasad must stand with his hands folded. Only she could have been apt. The biggest challenge was to ensure that the actors look like they belong to one family. The casting of actors like Rao Ramesh, VK Naresh, Gautami and others was done with that aim. And Santosh has those boy-next-door vibes. (The lead role was first thought to suit Vijay Deverakona. But after the release of 'Arjun Reddy', Nandini gave up the idea of casting him). Mickey J Meyer's work is the soul of the film.
In our films, usually, everyone becomes wise and delivers an enlightening speech in the climax. 'Oh Baby' had sermons but such was the story structure. In 'AMS', there is no scope for characters to talk much. I just went with what the story demanded without worrying about public reaction.
It was Swapna Dutt who first okayed the script. Priyanka Dutt okayed next. Nag Ashwin watched the movie at last. He was not involved from the beginning so as to ensure that he would view the film as an outsider. That way, he would be detached.
I am next going to do a film with Siddhu Jonnalagadda. Samantha Ruth Prabhu is yet to be locked for the project. Once the script is locked, I will give her a narration. That film won't be about weddings and family emotions (laughs).
I take 6-9 months to write a script. I can't work at the speed of Puri Jagannadh garu. I write solo. That's why I take a lot of time. A lot of times, the time gap between the completion of my movie and its theatrical release is 3-4 months. I believe in destiny. A film will find its way to theatres at its own pace. I don't have to worry about it.
At the end of the day, your writing must be engaging. Nobody has a definite answer to what can make the audience come to theatres. Some comedy films like 'Jathi Ratnalu' work better in theatres. We are social beings. That's why we go to restaurants even in the age of Swiggy. It's not like only big-scale movies are working in theatres. 'Balagam' had no scale. Anyone would have written off the film had they been told its storyline before its release. But the audience watched it in theatres in a big way.
My films have never garnered big openings. It's been the same since 'Ala Modalaindi'. The power of 'word of mouth' is what works for my movies.
