Avunu 2, a tech marvel

Says Ravi Babu speaking about the film and promises that it will carry forward the thrill element of its predecessor.

Actor-director Ravi Babu is back with his next, ‘Avunu 2’, a continuation of his earlier horror flick ‘Avunu’. Having been in the industry for a really long time, it is noteworthy that he has tried to tread on the different path while keeping away from run-of-the-mill stories. This film will continue that journey for him. However, the interesting aspect is some novelty he has brought to the process of filmmaking. Read on.

Technology in film production

But with this film, he shares, they made some technical breakthroughs. Films are all about lot of paperwork but the team of ‘Avunu 2’ made no use of even a single parchment during the entire process. “We did not use a single sheet of paper to make this film. It’s common during the process of filmmaking that rough versions are written and re-written several times. I began by typing the whole script and dialogues. I shared that with my Assistant Directors and got it typed in Telugu and transliterated into English,” he shares.

He adds that the entire process became easier thanks to that. “On location, the actors would receive the scene on WhatsApp and they would go through it during makeup. Any doubts, they would later check with the ADs who had a copy on iPads. This was a continuous process every day,” he adds.Saying that technology has made film production easier, he cites an example of purchasing properties for his sets. “When the art director sends me the image on WhatsApp, I can immediately tell him that I don’t like it. Saves lot of time and energy,” he quips.

Lighting becomes easier

It is commonplace to find many cables strewn on the floor and several lights being moved from time to time depending on the scene to be shot on film sets .But Ravi Babu planned way ahead and avoided the entire hullabaloo. “My pre-production is very strong. Before shooting began, every scene was planned and depending on that, we checked where the lights would be necessary. Since the main location is a house, I got the whole house rewired with LED lights in such a way that the entire house had switches for all necessary scenes,” he explains.

About the film

“This film starts exactly where ‘Avunu’ ended. This film is backed by amazing performances by the cast too. Poorna’s capabilities are marvelous. She can emote with perfection. As for Harsha (Harshavardhan Rane), his role is more prominent in this film than compared to the first movie. There was a scene in which he had to perform with such intensity that he collapsed by the end of it,” elucidates Ravi Babu about the film.

Ravi Babu says that making the film was a challenge. “The audience knows what to expect because everything was revealed in the first part. Now I had to ensure that the story is told in such a way that the thrill factor doesn’t miss,” he states.He hints at a possible ‘Part 3’. “Everything depends on the success of the film. ‘Avnu’ worked so ‘Avunu 2’ happened. Let’s see what’s next.”

Rumours have been doing the rounds that Ravi Babu is having an affair with his film’s lead actress, Poorna.“As a rule, I will never call a heroine after my film’s shoot is over. I will not take calls from heroines, heroes and assistant directors after 5.30 pm. So the chance of something like that happening is not possible,” he replies.Moreover, he adds, on a lighter note, that he cannot take the risk of messing with his heroines because that will turn them against him and they will not work with him again!“Heroines don’t interest me,” stated the actor-director.

By Pranita Jonnalagedda