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Mr Dependable
Highlights
Awed with what he saw of Akhil in ‘Manam’, director VV Vinayak, after successfully launching producer Bellamkonda Suresh’s son Sreenivas with ‘Alludu Sreenu’ 17 months ago, jumped at the opportunity of introducing the newest member of the Akkineni parivaar in a leading role.
I want to take a month break after ‘Akhil’ release. The pressure of directing it was equal to the pressure of handling six films combined together.
Awed with what he saw of Akhil in ‘Manam’, director VV Vinayak, after successfully launching producer Bellamkonda Suresh’s son Sreenivas with ‘Alludu Sreenu’ 17 months ago, jumped at the opportunity of introducing the newest member of the Akkineni parivaar in a leading role. “I liked his swagger in ‘Manam’,” he recalls. “I had ‘Akhil’ script and I wanted to do with him. Yes, there was pressure of introducing him (since he is Nagarjuna’s son) and it stayed with me throughout the shooting and is continuing to do so (smiles). But producer Sudhakar Reddy (Nithiin’s father) stood by me like a rock.”Smiling he adds, “I want to take a month break after the film releases. The pressure was equal to the pressure of directing six films combined together.”
Dismissing the film as a fantasy drama, he shares, “It is a more of a comedy drama loaded with action, family emotions and thrill in equal measures.”
The filmmaker sees Akhil going a long way in the industry. “He has that determination to give the best shot. The film boasts of high-octane action portions and he was ready to go for multiple takes,” he avers, adding, ‘He has excelled in melodrama portions and matched Brahmanandam’s timing when it comes to comedy. He has all the qualities of a full-fledged commercial hero.”
The biggest responsibility on him, Vinayak says, was to present Akhil in a right way. “Nagarjuna garu trusted me and handed over the reins of introducing Akhil. The only thing he and the producers wanted from me was to present Akhil in a way that Akkineni fans and general audience would take a liking to it. Of course, they wanted me to deliver a hit too,” he giggles.
Vinayak admits that the film has gone over budget. “The moment we locked in on the script, we decided to make it on a large canvas. When we thought the budget was soaring midway into the filming, we felt the need to give a refined product without any compromises,” he confides, adding, “As we neared the release, the pre-release business helped us.”
Given his experience, Nagarjuna never interfered in the creative aspects of the film, according to Vinayak. “To begin with, I don’t know him very well. I started interacting with him more after the film was deferred from the original release date. He is cool and a pleasant being. Even if he doles out a tip, he asks us to take the final call.”
The director insists that the film is not carrying any “negative talk” as such, especially after the release delay. “It is true that fans were disappointed but after we explained the reasons in a presser a fortnight ago, they understood the importance of a superior product,” he states, “Because of the postponement, we have got more screens to exhibit the film. In Nizam alone, it will be opening in 400 screens. We wouldn’t have go the same number of screens had we released it last month.”
While he is tight-lipped about his project with Chiranjeevi up next, he doesn’t rule out the possibility of collaborating with Mahesh Babu in the near future. He recently said that he wants to make an Rs 100 crore film with the superstar. “The moment script shapes up to my liking, I will go and narrate it to him. I told him I’ll wait for him. I don’t want to make a run-of-the-mill film with him; I want to set it on a huge canvas,” reveals Vinayak.
By Nagaraj Goud
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