‘Jathi Ratnalu’ is a stress-free, light-hearted comedy: Naveen Polishetty

Naveen Polishetty awaits the release of ‘Jathi Ratnalu’ on March 11. Directed by Anudeep KV and co-starring Priyadarshi, Rahul Ramakrishna and Faria Abdullah, the film is produced by Nag Ashwin, the director of ‘Mahanati’.

In this interview, Naveen talks about his journey into the film, what kind of a comedy ‘JR’ is and more.

Here are the excerpts from the review:

How the film happened

After ‘Agent Sai Srinivas Athreya’ in Telugu and ‘Chhichore’ in Hindi, I felt the pressure to live up to the audience’s expectations. It is when I got a call from Nag Ashwin, who asked me to meet Anudeep KV for a narration. I enjoyed the narration a lot.

So different from ‘Agent’

I wanted to do a film that will help me come out of the image imposed by ‘Agent’. When I listened to the script of ‘Jathi Ratnalu’, I felt that it is diametrically opposite to ‘Agent’. I had been wanting to do an out-and-out entertainer. After other members of the cast joined the film, it turned out to be a dream project.

A story-based comedy

It is the story of the film that leads the characters; it’s not the other way round. The title denotes satire. Obviously, we don’t mean to say that the characters are diamonds.

The real jathi ratnalu

When I don’t have to satire, I would say that my producers Nag Ashwin, Priyanka Dutt and Swapna Dutt are the real ‘jathi ratnalu’. They have encouraged me, someone without a background in films. There is a Naveen in every family. If parents have to believe their children’s talents, we need producers like Nag, Priyanka and Swapna.

I have known Nag Ashwin for about 10 years. We have had a long journey. He worked as an AD for several years before turning a director. Even when I was busy in Mumbai, I would keep in touch with him.

A collaborate environment

A similarity between Anudeep and Swaroop RSJ (of ‘Agent’ fame) is that they are very open to ideas. I enjoy it when I have the freedom to improvise. We have done this movie in a creatively collaborative environment. We would sit together and even out things. There were occasions when I would call Anudeep in the mid-night and torture him about the next day’s scenes.

Situational comedy

‘Jathi Ratnalu’ has got situational comedy. The comedy moves along with the story. I play a dumb character (much like Priyadarshi and Rahul Ramakrishna). At the same time, they repel others.

A cute love track

I have got scenes with Faria Abdullah, who plays Chitti. The Chitt-Srikanth love track is cute and innocent. I feel it will be loved by the audience. It’s a fun-filled, light-hearted movie that doesn’t ask the audience to use their brains. The dumb situations, the crime scenes are stress-free.

I look for novelty

When I listen to a story, I look for novelty. I generally don’t connect with familiar subjects. When the audience watches the trailer of my movie, they should get interested in the movie. The audience is exposed to OTT features. Their standard has increased.

As an actor, I am waiting for a pay-off in terms of audience satisfaction. Yesterday, we arranged a premiere for a patient and he was thrilled. He thoroughly enjoyed the film.

Next film in Bollywood

I am doing a Hindi film, which will release later this year. Due to lockdown in some countries, the shoot has been delayed. The film will release by the end of 2021.

Lockdown helped me a great deal

During the lockdown, I didn’t want to shoot any movie because I didn’t want to put my family members at risk. So, last year, I rejected a number of offers. The lockdown taught me that we all need to do our bit to help others. I tried to help some people with pressing needs. The lockdown made me a better person for sure.

I want to work with Rajamouli garu, Sukumar garu, Zoya Akhtar and others.