Kicking off in style

I can yell at Bunny and he won’t take offence. He is that friendly. I never had the same luxury with any of my other actors till now - Surender Reddy

In his near-decade long film career, director Surender Reddy has made just six films, with notables being ‘Athanokkade’, ‘Kick’ and’ Oosaravelli’. He insists that he takes at least six months to work on a script and only then does he take the draft to sets. “This is the way I’ve been working and I guess it will remain so,” he smiles. The director is in a relaxed mood as we chat up with him on his latest, ‘Race Gurram’ (RG), featuring Allu Arjun in the lead role.

Travelling with Allu boy has made him to come with ‘RG’ script. “He is a bundle of energy and there’s a never a dull moment when he’s around. I wanted to carry the same energy in a film and it is how ‘RG’ shaped up. He is neither into gambling nor a racer in the film. Race horses are trained to focus on target and his character in the film is such that he is completely focused on the job at hand,” recalls Suri, as he’s fondly called in the industry circles.

Speaking about the film, he says, “It’s a complete family entertainer; a first of a kind for me. It’s about two brothers (played by ‘Kick’ Sham and Arjun) who don’t meet eye-to-eye. It’s told in a lighter vein; more so akin to Tom and Jerry type. It also has a love track which eventually connects to the main story.”

Shruti Haasan’s character will leave the audience in splits, he assures. “She plays Spandana, a character which has many emotions inside her but never shows them. Even if someone cracks the funniest of jokes, she will not even sport a smile; rather she smiles inside. Be it comedy, emotions or dances, she excelled in every department,” he points out.

Bhojpuri actor Ravi Kishen’s role too is a major asset to the movie, he feels. “He is rowdy-sheeter who plans to get into politics. The principal antagonist in the film, he keeps away from notorious activities for a while, but in due course encounters Bunny. Their combat forms the rest of the film. He was great to shoot as he came up the variations required for the character.”

Like many filmmakers, Suri too is in awe of Bunny’s professionalism. He is a director’s delight, he says. “He owns the story from day one and does more than his bit to prepare for the role. He is always ready to dole out tips. His character is 50 per cent of his own inputs. For ‘Down down dappa’ song, he went the extra mile as he took charge of the whole song, be it from the production design to the choreography.”

He continues, “On the personal front, he is a darling. I can stop speaking to him four days and on the fifth day, if I go and meet him, he is not the one who has complains. I can yell at him and he won’t take offence; he is that friendly. I never had the same luxury with any of my actors till now.”

‘Kick’, which found many admirers across the country is being remade in Bollywood with Salman Khan. In fact the production team approached him to helm the film. “I was tied up with ‘Oosaravelli’ at that time. Salman was not the first choice for the film but after he came on board, I was once again asked to direct it; but I was committed to NTR film. I’m not averse to directing a Hindi flick. If I get an opportunity I would definitely latch on to it.”

Speaking about ‘Kick’, he is ready to take the sequel on floors as soon as Ravi Teja is done with his current project, ‘Power’. “We would only be carrying his character in the sequel. Nandamuri Kalyan Ram will produce it,” he says as he opens about directing a love story too. “It would happen in the middle of ‘Kick 2’.

I’m planning to wrap it up in 75 days. Everything is in place for the film and it would star fresh faces. I would be producing it along with ‘Tagore’ Madhu.”