I imagined my Rakhi sister while writing ‘Aswathama’: Naga Shaurya

Naga Shaurya awaits the release of ‘Aswathama’ on January 31.  In this interview, the actor talks about the emotional thriller, his mood while writing the movie, how he and his parents were deeply pained by the failure of ‘Narthanasala’, his upcoming movies and more.

A learning experience

This is the most intense and emotional movie I have ever done.  Since it’s based on atrocities on women, it has to be that way.  Since I started writing ‘Aswathama’, I have learned a lot in life.  My awareness of people and things has gone up.  I have tattooed the film’s logo for this reason.

Based on an unbelievable incident

For a thriller like this to click with the audience, the villain has to be extremely strong.  I have taken the permission of my friend in whose life the shocking incident shown in the movie happened.  It’s an unbelievable incident.  I have no female siblings in life.  I know a woman named Priya, who is my rakhi sister.  I kept her in mind while writing the story.  I imagined her in the victim’s place in my story and wrote the scenes.

Complete coordination

We planned everything in the pre-production stage itself.  There was complete coordination between me, the director (Ramana Teja), the cinematographer and the direction department.  Teja’s inputs were taken into account during the scripting stage.  He is a passionate technician.

Budget did go up

Right from the director to the cameraman, most of us who have worked on the movie are youngsters.  The budget has shot up for sure.  However, as a producer, I need to pay back when I have received so much from others in my career.

Was disturbed during the writing stage 

Since I have written the script myself, I didn’t need to look into the paper before giving a shot.  I had been into writing the script for several months. The writing process did take a toll on me.  I was in a disturbed state of mind, given the nature of the story.  I travelled to several places to learn about the victims.  When the Disha incident happened, I came to know about some of the shocking aspects of the crime.  I had included some of the aspects of the script.

A mind-blowing villain

Only the villain’s character is a fiction in the movie.  The incidents that take place in the hero’s life are true-to-life.  You won’t find any unnecessary elements like item song in the movie.  Everything is true to the story.  The villain has been played by a super-talented actor who has received National Awards.  He will receive a National Award for this movie as well.

Wanted the best for BGM

Ghibran garu is one of the greatest assets of the movie.  Sricharan Pakala’s songs are superb.  I had to rope in the former for BGM because the script demanded so.  I have had no creative differences with Sricharan.  I just wanted to go with the best.  There is a feel of ‘Rakshasudu’, ‘Khaidi’ and ‘Khakee’ about the BGM of ‘Aswathama’.  It’s sort of deliberate.

That flop pained us

The failure of ‘Narthanasala’ devastated me and my parents.  I knew that the film would flop even before its release.  That film was made because I had promised its director back in 2010 that I will do that story.  After I became a producer, he came back to me in 2017 and requested me to materialize the project.  And I did it.  I will prefer to die rather than renege on a promise.

Trying new roles 

I don’t want the lover boy tag.  Most directors come to me with love stories. And they are run-of-the-mill.  Situations and actresses change but the emotion is the same in these movies.  ’Awathama’, on the other hand, has given me the scope to show a new side.  Same goes for Srinivas Avasarala’s movie, in which I am playing seven variations.

Pawan Kalyan’s voice

It was Aswathama who questioned it when Draupadi was being disrobed in the Mahabharatham.  In ‘Gopala Gopala’, Pawan Kalyan garu’s character says a line about Aswathama.  We have used that line and voice-over for this movie.

What next?

I will be travelling to the US for 50 days after the release of this movie.  I am open to doing multi-starrers.  Just because I have written a script, I am not entertaining the idea of becoming a director.  At least not as of now.