Ohmkar is very positive about 'Raju Gari Gadhi-2', which releases on Oct 13. In this interview, he talks about the film, Nag's character and more.

You were supposed to do the film with Venkatesh. What transpired actually?

After 'Raju Gari Gadhi', I was not in a hurry to make a film. I cogitated over two of the subjects I had had in mind. One of them was a family-oriented subject. 'RGG-2' was the other one.

When I wanted to go in with the latter, my friends advised me against taking up the horror subject once again. It's then that I narrated the story to Venkatesh garu. But it's not the same concept that you are going to see in 'RGG-2'. He told me that it will take some time for him to join hands with me as he was doing 'Guru' back then.

I then met with PVP garu, who advised me to go ahead with 'RGG-2'. He asked me to be ready with another concept. I told Venkatesh garu the same. He advised that I should go ahead with this project. He assured me that we can work together for 'RGG-3' or 'RGG-4'!

I then started working on a subject based on what I had seen in 'Preetham', a Malayalam film. It's not a remake. I have taken only the soul of that film. The story is totally different.

How is the story totally different?

In 'Preetham', the ghost doesn't have a large role. It doesn't have dialogues. Since Nagarjuna garu's image is different, I have kept in mind the following he has among the family audiences. That's why I have added family emotions to horror and comedy. It was Niranjan garu's idea to rope in Samantha for the role of the ghost.

Tell us about the protagonist's character.

Nagarjuna garu will be seen as a mentalist named Rudra. Mentalism is a science. Such a character has been designed in such a way that the audiences from 'B' and 'C' centers will be able to understand him. His character also has a spiritual touch, that's why the Rudraksha mala is used.

Was the story written for Nagarjuna then?

I didn't write the story of 'RGG-2' with Nagarjuan garu in mind. Matinee Entertainment and PVP Cinema have done 'Kshanam' and 'Ghazi' in the past. Their next has to be a hat-trick hit for sure. After the scripting was done, Niranjan Reddy garu felt that we should approach Nagarjuna garu with this story. He okayed the film in just five minutes.

Is the film a horror or a thriller more?

The way the story progresses itself is exciting. This is the first time that Nagarjuna garu and Samantha have done a horror film. When the former came on board, he didn't know that Samantha would be playing the role of the ghost.

Did Nagarjuna interfere with the making?

Before this film, I had never worked with a big star. When Nag garu came on board, it gave me a lot of motivation. He never interfered with the making. All his suggestions were limited to the stage of script-writing. Once the writing part was over, he never interfered. He gave me all the freedom I needed. He never looked down upon me just because I am relatively a newcomer. He is very happy with the way the film has shaped up.

Why did Nagarjuna have to pressurize you to complete the film on time?

He put pressure on us as he knows that films which are CG-significant take longer than usual to be completed. Thankfully, we could complete it on time.

It seems Nagarjuna commented about you not following the timelines stringently. Tell us what happened.

Nagarjuna garu didn't say that I don't have a sense of time. The words of elders are always a blessing. He asked us to complete the film as per the plan. It's because of my discipline and hard work that I have grown up from being a TV hos to a filmmaker. Any work involves pressure. I never thought negatively about anything as that might affect the product. Whatever Nagarjuna garu says, I take it in the right spirit. This is just my third film as a director. In contrast, he has got a wide experience.

Does the film tell any message?

There is a message in the film. It's that we should respect the women in our lives.

Chinmayi has said that Samantha's performance drove her to tears. Tell us about her acting.

The performance of Samantha in this film is at its best. The performance of the Nagarjuna-Samantha duo in the climax is top-notch.

What is your next film going to be?

I haven't decided on what to do what 'RGG-2'. If Venkatesh garu wants to work with me, I will do 'RGG-3'. If not, I will work with anybody who is ready to team up with me. My decision will depend on what happens after this movie's release. I think my next film will be with PVP garu's banner.