After six back-to-back blockbusters which have all earned him the ‘Most Successful Director’ epithet, Anil Ravipudi is shifting major gears from comedy to drama with Bhagavanth Kesari. In a humorous vein, Anil says, “I made six films so far. So, you can say I am done with one over. I am batting right now under a new over, new innings.”
The director also describes Nandamuri Balakrishna, his film’s lead actor, as the perfect weapon for bringing his story to fruition. Setting the tone for the rest of the press interaction with these two lines, Anil talks about his film, the ongoing tussle between novelty and inspiration and more.
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Sarileru Neekevaru (2020) had an Army backdrop. In Bhagavanth Kesari as well, Balakrishna’s character is seen prepping Sreeleela to enlist in the forces. Personally, where does that Army connect come from?
In both films, it was a requirement of the script. In Sarileru Neekevaru, we wanted to display Mahesh Babu as a uniformed officer. Here, the army angle is presented in the larger context of empowering women, raising them like fierce lionnesses. And we also thought the idea of a woman joining the army was fresh, unlike say a woman becoming a police officer. We had also done some research whilst writing the film, which showed us that more and more women are joining our defence forces. Not in active combat positions, but for administrative works and such. I was also inspired by documentaries on female officers and Gunjan Saxena : The Kargil Girl (2020), where Janhvi Kapoor plays an Air Force officer. This is a nice way of taking our story forward, while also inspiring young women.
How did Balakrishna react when he first heard the story of Bhagavanth Kesari?
He has always been receptive towards new stories and new concepts, as evident through works like Aditya 369 (1991) and Bhairava Dweepam (1994). He was moved by the story and its themes. It was also really cool of him to feature as this father figure to Sreeleela’s Viji. His faith in the film has increased mine tenfold.
Your debut film Pataas (2015) starred Kalyanram, while your latest is with his uncle Balakrishna. Did you sort of see this as a full circle moment?
Not really. The plan to work with Balakrishna has always been in the works, since Pataas. I have been meeting him over the years with the basic one-liner of Bhagavanth Kesari. The timing of it all has worked out this time, so here we are.
Balakrishna will be playing a character from Telangana in the film, which is a first of sorts.
There is this mukkusutithanam (straightforwardness) in the Telangana dialect, which has a very bold flavour. That boldness also matches Balayya’s real life personality. I had a gut feeling that the Telangana characterisation would work out very well for him. There are a few expletives here and there, but they don’t seem out of place. They flow with the language and the overall mood of the film. The film’s dialogues reflect his persona very closely.
Over the years, catchphrases from your films, be it the ‘meow, meow, pilli’ from Sarileru… and ‘anthega…anthega’ from F2 : Fun and Frustration (2019) have become a part of mainstream pop culture. But in the trailer of Bhagavanth Kesari, we see the opposite happen, where you have incorporated memes and guffaws popular on the internet into your film. How would you view this transition?
I see it as a symbiotic process, where the audience pick up certain things from films and vice versa. As long as it fits the film, you are doing no wrong. It all boils down to understanding the public pulse. It is also important to note that these phrases don’t exist in isolation. They derive their gravitas and punch value from the situations in the story. The portion in the trailer where he sings nee kanti chuppulo, though it was plucked out of a meme, it reflects Bhagavanth’s attitude, where he could not care less about what others think of him. There are also lines we came up with in the film like ‘Bro, I don’t care’ and ‘shhh…sappudu cheyaku’. We are hoping they find popularity amongst people the way phrases from my previous films did.
Balayya’s films are known to come loaded with political inneundo. Can we expect to see that in Bhagavanth Kesari as well?
No, you will see nothing of that sort in my film. I don’t like mixing politics into my films. I don’t like to provoke people that way. Bhagavanth Kesari has a strong message that will speak to everyone.
Arjun Rampal is playing the villain in your film. How did you zero in on this particular actor?
The antagonist’s role in the film is nearly equivalent to that of the protagonist. I have always admired Arjun since I saw him in Om Shanti Om (2007). He has a great voice and an elegant-yet-strong screen presence. I thought it would be a nice idea to bring him to Telugu cinema. He was also very excited by the prospect. His only concern was the language barrier. He refused to get his lines prompted, choosing instead to memorise all his dialogue ahead of shoot. He has also gone ahead and dubbed for his own lines in the film.
Is Bhagavanth Kesari going to have a sequel, like F2?
No. This is going to be a complete, conclusive film. As the film ends, all characters and arcs will find their due closure.
You have made a major shift in your filmography with Bhagavanth Kesari. Can we expect more such curveballs with your films in the future?
I would love to expand beyond comedy, try my hand at all sorts of genres. I would love to make a lady-oriented film I want to also direct the kind of films K Viswanath did, like Swathi Muthyam (1985). I don’t know. It largely depends on how the audience will receive your films, your experiments.
There is this mukkusutithanam (straightforwardness) in the Telangana dialect, which has a very bold flavour. That boldness also matches Balayya’s real life personality