Ahead of the release of 'Vijetha' on July 12, director Rakesh Sashii is seemingly confident. Saying that the film has something that 90 percent of the audience will find relatable, the director talks about his background, how the project happened, what Chiranjeevi told him and more.

What is your background and how did this project happen?

I come from Krishna district. I was University topper in Electronics, which I passed out in 2006. I came to Hyderabad to pursue my interest in direction. I was one of the Top 10 directors of a K Raghavendra Rao garu's programme about future directors.

I have worked with the likes of Paruchuri Brothers and Chinni Krishna garu. It was after working in the direction department for 'Rudrama Devi' that I got a chance to direct 'Jatha Kalisey', my debut movie. One has to be steadfast in this film. Given passion, you can stay put. You will do anything if you are stubborn.

As for 'Vijetha', Sai Korrapati garu wanted to work with me after 'Jatha Kalisey' in 2015. We came to know about Kalyaan Dhev from Satyanand garu in Vizag. After I gave him a brief narration, Kalyaan said he liked it and went away. I got no call for two days. Later, I was told Chiranjeevi garu wanted to listen to the story.

So, what did the Megastar tell you? He must have taken a lot of care because it's his son-in-law's debut movie.

Chiranjeevi garu was thoroughly impressed with my narration. I went to him with a detailed narration. For 1.5 hours, I told him every scene and dialogue. He told me just one thing: 'Just execute what you have narrated to me'. He has watched the rough cut recently. He liked the film.

How was it working with Sai Korrapati?

Vaaraahi is a production house that gives total freedom. The producer gave me the freedom to work with any hero I wanted. We found Kalyaan apt. Since the story is good, the producer was OK with even a fresher doing it. But the fresher being a relative of Chiranjeevi garu has only been a plus. There was no pressure to deviate from the story. Chiru garu did give some suggestions in the beginning using his experience.

What do you like the most about your hero?

Kalyaan comes from a rich family. As such, he has never been a middle-class guy in real life. He has come to experience some new things that are typical of a middle-class guy while doing this film. He has done a lot of homework. He is always enthusiastic about learning new things.

What kind of a character is Malavika Nair playing?

She is a tough girl who is independent-minded. She can take a decision on her own. I liked her in 'Yevade Subrahmanyam' and 'Kalyana Vaibhogame'. That's why I roped her in.

What is the subject of the film about?

The teaser and trailer say that it's about a father-son duo. But there is more to the story. Its content is such that 90% of the audience will find something relatable. I don't want to reveal what it is. Ours is a country of middle-class people. We go through so many joys, sorrows, insults, etc. 'Vijetha' mirrors these realities. Srinivas Rao (Murali Sharma) is a factory employee. And his son Ram (Kalyaan Dhev) is an Engineering graduate. They face a situation and how they come out of it is what is the crux. My hero is not a normal guy. Yet he wins in the end.

To what extent is this film similar to Chiru's 'Vijetha'?

Story-wise, characters-wise, there are no similarities. Only that both the films are about middle-class characters.