"The result of a movie depends on the story, and an actor or actress should not be singled out for a failure. No one can be blamed individually for the flop of a movie which is a collective effort", says Gopichand.

He is coming up with the film 'Sahasam' after a long gap, and he has revealed many things about the hard work the team has undergone for the movie, the reason for the huge budget, the reason for pairing up with Tapsee again after a flop like 'Mogudu', his director Chandrasekhar Yeleti etc. He also says that life after marriage is a new experience for him.

Here is his interview.

You have taken a long gap after 'Mogudu'. What is the reason behind it ?

Yes, I have taken a gap of nearly one and half years and I have never done it before in my career. When I signed the movie, we thought that the movie will be completed in 6 months. But as the shooting progressed, we had to focus on every minute detail of the film, for an effective output. That’s why this delay. But after watching the output, I am very satisfied with it.

How different will be 'Sahasam' from the adventurous films that have come previously in Telugu ?

I have seen many adventurous films, and the scale of 'Sahasam' is very different from them. The style of Chandrasekhar Yeleti is quite unique. Moreover, this is not just an adventurous film, but an outright commercial entertainer. The action sequences in this film will be very exciting.

I play a security guard who is greed over money and tries to become rich in a quick way. How his life takes a turn with an incident and how he meets the heroine will be interesting. Shakthi Kapoor has played a typical Pakistani in this film, and the art director has done a great job within our budget for some episodes which were made without graphics. In all, the movie will be a treat visually and is very different from the adventurous films that have come before.

I have understood that the audiences will not accept me in soft characters from the result of 'Mogudu' and took care of not repeating the mistakes I have done in that film

Film Industry is all about sentiments. What was the reason for roping in Tapsee for this movie, though the previous movie in your combination, 'Mogudu', is a disaster ?

I think that the story should be good for the success of a movie and no actor or actress can be blamed for a flop. Many flop heroes and heroines have become big stars only because they got another chance. So I think sentiments have nothing to do here.

What is the reason for the shoot of the movie in 'Ladakh' ?

According to the story, some scenes have to be shot at the border of Pakistan. But we have found Ladakh as a perfect match for Pakistan and shot the movie there. A major part of the shoot of the film has been done there.

Were you strained mentally or physically at the time of shooting in 'Ladakh' ?

The oxygen levels in Ladakh are very low. There was no problem, when we were shooting normal scenes, but at the time of action sequences, we had to run and faced some trouble breathing.

What are the special efforts you have put in for this film ?

I have not put in any special efforts, but I have learnt horse riding for this movie. At first, I have thought of skipping even horse riding, but the director said that it was compulsory for the movie. So I have taken training for 20 days for the same.

Were you injured during the action sequences ?

I have been lucky not to be injured while shooting and it is only because of fight master Selva. But my leg was a little fractured and I had to take rest for one month. I learnt horse riding in this gap and it was very hard for me. But that’s the business...

What is the difference you have observed in the director, for 'Okkadunnadu' and this movie ?

For 'Okkadunnadu', we had no scope for spending much. But for this film, Chandrasekhar Yeleti had the freedom regarding budget. If you have that freedom, you can take care of every small aspect. He was at first scared of the scale and decided to keep the project aside. But I convinced him that we can't get a subject like this again.

Did the producer scared of over budget ?

The producer was also scared of over budget at first, but he was confident about the movie and said that we had to spend at parts where needed and cut down where it isn’t. As Reliance Entertainments joined hands with him, the burden was decreased.

Sri has composed music after a long gap. What about his contribution to the film ?

The songs in this movie are not regular and Sri has given good commercial numbers. Actually only two songs will be seen in the movie and though Chandu was not interested to include songs in this movie, he has done it by force.

The background score will be very good in the movie than what is in the trailer. When I saw the movie while dubbing, I thought that a good score will take the movie to a new level. Sri has done an exceptional job and even the director, who doesn't accept anything quickly, has praised his work.

What about the cinematographer Shyam Dutt ?

Shyam Dutt has worked for 'Prasthanam' and he has done a brilliant work for 'Sahasam'. He and Chandrasekhar Yeleti tried to work together 10 years back, but it was not materialized. He has left 5 opportunities at the time of the shoot of 'Sahasam', saying that he will not get a chance to work for a film like this again. He has become very plus to the movie.

He has got a chance to work for Kamal Haasan's 'Viswaroopam 2' now, and we are very happy about it.

At present, families come to the theatres only when children love the film . Have you taken care to incorporate elements that attract children in 'Sahasam' ?

Children will definitely love this film. As a child, I used to love adventurous films like 'Indiana Jones' so much and 'Sahasam' will be in the range of those films.