When Pawan Kumar’s U-Turn released in Kannada in 2012, it was hugely successful and the box office collection was estimated at ` 7.5 crore after its 100-day run. The recently-released Telugu and Tamil versions starring Samantha Akkineni, Aadhi Pinisetty and Bhumika Chawla however, have surpassed expectations with a collection of ` 14 crore in four days. Going by the success, Pawan says that he has figured out the success formula of films: Make more bilinguals.
“It shows that bilinguals have a bigger market, something I’ve understood while shooting these remakes. From now, this will be my plan, “ says Pawan, who is surprised and elated that the audience has received his latest outing with enthusiasm.
Interestingly, Pawan was originally apprehensive about making U-Turn in other languages. “The original is available on Netflix and on YouTube for ` 25. So I wondered if the audience would come to theatres for it. The business it has made shows that it really doesn’t matter. In fact, it encourages me to make more bilinguals,” he says.
With this success, Pawan has also broken the notion that Kannada films, when remade in other languages, don’t work. “Unlike other films, where the directors are different from the original films, I directed U-Turn’s remakes myself. Maybe, this made this difference,” says Pawan, who also feels that roping in local actors and adapting the film to local sensibilities worked. “I also changed the last 30 minutes of the film, and took the thrill factor a notch higher in the remakes.”
Plans to remake Ondu Motteya Kathe in Tamil and Telugu
Now that U-Turn has fared exceedingly well at the box office, Pawan is all set to re-make Ondu Motteya Kathe in Tamil and Telugu. “It still in the early stages. Since Ondu Motteya Kathe has a strong story, it can fetch good money, if remade. So I’m thinking that I should give it a try,” he says. But he’s clear that not all dubbed films may work in other languages.” Stories with emotional content may not work when dubbed. Action-oriented films may work. My personal opinion is that a good story with a strong regional connect works better when it is remade,” says Pawan.
Pawan’s C10H14N2 :Bilingual or trilingual?
Pawan will now work on a project he has been contemplating for a long time. C10H14N2, based on Nicotine is likely to see the light of day soon. And going by his recent success formula, Pawan is planning to make it in two or three languages. “I am now working on C10H14N2, which is based on Nicotine. I might make it in two or three languages,” he says.