Watch out for Manoj in Gunturodu

‘Naa Rakumarudu’, released in late 2013, might not have set the box-office coffers ringing but it ensured that debutant director Satya caught the attention of many, especially industry-wallahs. “Many industry people felt that I’ve handled the story well and that I was good at writing,” Satya recalls in a conversation with Talkies. But the Naveen Chandra-starrer was not what he wanted to make as his maiden flick.

“I was supposed to debut with a couple of big heroes but as it happens in the industry, luck eluded me. In the meantime, a producer approached me to make a small film with him. Since it was already late for my directorial debut and that an opportunity came knocking my doors, I’ve decided to give ‘Naa Rakumarudu’ a shot. It was a concept-driven film and I was sure that if I narrate it well, I’ll get more opportunities,” he flashbacks.

Nonetheless, Satya, who eats, breathes and dreams commercial cinema had to wait for more than two years to get his second project rolling. “After ‘Naa Rakumarudu’ opened, my younger sister passed away. It took me 18 months to come out of it and I completely disconnected from the industry in the interim. And when I decided to shift focus towards career again, I wanted to make ‘Gunturodu’ as my second film.

The plot was with me since long and I took a month to flesh it out totally. As I began searching for actors with mass image to play the titular part, I was told that Manoj was looking at a good yet novel commercial entertainer. I’ve approached him and pitched the story. He liked it in the first go itself, saying that he wants it to go on floors as soon possible,” he exults, adding, “I wanted to tell him that the story requires him to cease from his trademark dialogue delivery and mannerisms but he himself promised me that he’d do nothing outside the script.”

Shot in 60 days, ‘Gunturodu’, insists he, is a masala fare and unfolds as a fast-paced action drama. “Manoj’s part is someone who doesn’t stand any wrongdoings in front of him. He even resorts to violence to address them, while villain Sampath’s part believes in using force for the smallest of things. Also, he is brash and egoistic. What happens when their paths cross is what the film all about,” he shares, admitting that Sampath’s part is stronger than Manoj’s. “He’d be lauded and loved the same way that Raghuvaran was lauded for his Bhavani portrayal in ‘Shiva’.”

The film was in the news recently for Megastar Chiranjeevi agreeing to give his voice-over and Satya avers it was Manoj’s brainwave. “From the beginning, I told Manoj that I need a celebrity to do voice-over and as the film was in post-production phase, he proposed the name of Chiranjeevi garu. I was like, ‘Wow.’ He spoke to his dad Mohan Babu and later sought an appointment with Chiru garu. Once they met, it was a mere formality,” he signs off.