Trivikram Srinivas knows how to keep his emotions in control. He can impress anyone with his words, with his spontaneous response, simplicity and sober demeanour. Talk to him and you will realise that none of these qualities seem to be acquired. Ahead of the release of his much-awaited action drama Aravinda Sametha Veera Raghava (ASVR), the writer-director recalls what went in during its making and how does he deal with failure and success.
Excerpts from the conversation:
You’ve delivered an unusually short speech at Aravinda Sametha Veera Raghava pre-release...
Everyone around me was emotionally charged. I was confused and didn’t want to talk about that tragic incident. I know that the audience are waiting to hear from NTR. So, I made him do the talking.
NTR got back to work on the fourth day of his father’s death. What was going through your mind then?
After learning about Harikrishna garu’s demise, I was with NTR on the first day. Neither producer Chinna Babu nor I had the mood to talk about the film. When we thought of pushing the release to summer as the box office is packed with other releases in December and January. To our surprise, NTR called the very next day and said that he will resume the shoot on Saturday and ensured that the film will release as planned. We were taken aback, but followed his words. He put his heart into the film.
The song Penimiti from the film has led many to conclude that ASVR is an action film replete with emotions.
True. The song has become a chartbuster and it can fill in the blanks in the story. After watching the visuals, I saw some backlash coming in from a section of the audience. What you have seen is one instance in the song. We have added 60% montage effects to conflate the timeline of the past and the present events. We don’t want to reveal much about the other part before release.
What’s ASVR about?
There have been many films set against faction backdrop and each of it has offered a different solution to stop the violence. As for ASVR, the narrative was told from the perspective of a woman. The film symbolises the challenges women from the faction-ridden land go through and how they deal with it. What would happen if they were given equal standing like men and would they be able to stop faction fights has been shown in this film. We tried to give an emotional spin to the story and ensured that the narrative doesn’t get preachy and there is no room for forced humour.
The story of ASVR has drawn comparisons with your long-delayed Kobali...
I would be lying if I say I’m oblivious of these comparisons. So many people have been asking me whether its the same film which I wanted to make with Pawan Kalyan. ASVR is a different story and I can confidently say we haven’t dabbled in it in our cinema for a while.
How do you take criticism and failure of Agnyaathavaasi?
I’m someone who doesn’t like to carry the baggage of success and failure. Sometimes, things are not in our hands. When I wrote Agnyaathavaasi, I thought it will work wonders at the box office, but it did not. I was disappointed with the result, but I don’t dwell on the past. It took me a week to move on.
To me, success or failure is momentary and I’m still the same person as I was after Attarintiki Daredi success. I’m always busy with my script works. The moment an exciting idea occurs to me, I pursue it and forget about the rest. I only take things to heart when a film fails or turns out to be a big hit. I believe I have something exciting in store for you (audience) with ASVR.
You thought Agnyaathavaasi was made way ahead of its time. Is it true?
Not really. Since Agnyaathavaasi wasn’t commercially viable, I’ve returned my remuneration to my producer. There were times when I used to wonder if I come across several people who speak high about my unsuccessful films like Khaleja. In this digital world, we are posting our thoughts and feelings directly on social media. There can be umpteen reasons for someone to like or dislike a film. We can’t say anything about that. If we harp on such trivial things, we may become weak.
Do you feel the burden of high expectations?
I don’t know. During film events, I walk onto the stage when the anchor starts addressing me with sobriquets (Matala Mantrikudu) and shower praises with their words. I don’t believe in such stuff.
Writing or direction, what gives you immense satisfaction?
It’s a tough question. I don’t like to categorise myself into one. I’m not donning a dual role like the lead characters in Ramudu Bheemudu (1964). I made Athadu and people said the dialogues are catchy. Neither those words had a negative connotation nor do I consider them as a compliment.
muralikrishna.db@newindianexpress @onlymurali