Talented director Vi Anand is coming this Friday (Nov 18) with 'Ekkadiki Pothavu Chinnavada'. In this exclusive interview to IndiaGlitz, he talks about the movie, why filmmakers need to update their information, etc.

Want to try different genres:

I want to try different genres. Not that I planned to do this movie after 'Tiger'. I take whichever story is convincing to me. I need to have conviction in the subject. Sci-fi is my favourite genre. The story of 'EPC' had been there in my mind for about three years. This is a kind of story that naturally lends itself to comedy, twists, romance and more. I feel such subjects excite the audience.

A lot of references, in fact:

The idea took birth when I came to know about a small incident in a friend's life. After all, every creator needs a spark. 'EPC' is a mixture of a lot of genres. There is an emotional love story, there is a dash of horror, there are thriller and fantasy elements. I had no particular reference, and I learnt from a lot of movies. I would say it's a complete family entertainer laced with a lot of humour.

There is a message:

The film delivers a relevant message with respect to what do we see in a person when we fall in love. Is it the person's character? Is it beauty? The film also gives a solution as it concludes.

Why only Nikhil?:

Nikhil's character has dual shades. One is that of a college boy who is energetic and bubbly, and who falls in love. The other one is that of a matured, subtle adult working as a graphic designer. I saw both these in Nikhil. The first shade was visible in 'Happy Days' and the second shade, in 'Karthikeya'. There is a reason as to why girls fall in love with him in our movie. He is not a Play Boy, but a down-to-earth person here. He is also an actor who encourages new content, screenplay, treatment.

Heebah Patel is that girl:

We needed someone whom the audience are crazy about. Heebah is someone who can pull a movie off her own shoulder. Her character, too, has dual shades. She is seen in a bubbly yet homely shade. Then the other shade is glamorous and outwardly socializing, and a dancer. Her presence definitely adds value to the movie. The chemistry between Nikhil and Heebah has worked very well.

Filmmakers need to get updated:

Audience today are exposed to a lot of info. They are learning things on Internet before the filmmaker does. Filmmakers need to thus keep themselves updated. That the soul weighs 21 grams was established scientifically by someone. Whether it is genuine or fake is debatable, though. But I found the idea interesting and as it is related to the story, the element has been included. The audience are expecting logic these days. And facts add credibility.

As real as it gets:

I saw some online videos and witnessed the possessed in temples. They are not like how it's shown in the movies. They don't have a dark colour below their eyes, etc. They are like us. We didn't want to go cinematic; we wanted to be as close to the reality as possible. After all, 'EPC' is an emotion-driven film.

A phenomenal technical team:

The technical team has done a phenomenal work in taking the film to the next level, visually. The cinematography is very good. Sekhar Chandra's four songs are different from one another, 'Chirunama' has become a big hit. 'Vnda speedlo vastuna' is growing in popularity. He has used new instruments.

Abburi Ravi, who has penned the lines for 'Kshanam', 'Oopiri', 'Hyper' and 'Tiger' has penned emotional dialogues. Art director Ramanjaneyulu has done amazing set works. You wouldn't know where it's artificially erected. Chota K Prasad's editing is neat and smooth.

Never heard that rumour:

I never heard this rumour that Chota K Naidu garu ghost-directed 'Tiger'. He is my godfather. Tagore Madhu sir and Chota sir were the lifeline of the movie. Chota sir gave me so much support, but never interfered. He gave me the output that I wanted. He gives all the freedom to his team. It was only because of him that the project took off, but he never interfered with my work. We did the movie with his blessings.

Upcoming project:

I have a sci-fi with Allu Sirish. We are finalizing the script and the dialogue version. We will very soon announce further details.