‘RED’ is a remake with many changes: Kishore Tirumala

Director Kishore Tirumala of ‘Nenu Sailaja’ fame awaits the release of ‘RED’ on January 15. Starring Ram Pothineni in dual roles, the film is a remake of the Tamil movie ‘Thadam’. With music by Mani Sharma, the entertainer has Nivetha Pethuraj as a cop. 

In this interview, the ‘Chitralahari’ director talks about the film, why it is an unusual remake, his personal likes and more. 

Loved trying a new genre

This is both a thriller and a drama. That way, it’s entirely different from my previous movies. You will find the kind of fun you have seen in my previous outings. Since this is my third film with Ram Pothineni, it was easy with him. 

Expect massy stuff

After ‘iSmart Shankar’, the audience are expecting massy elements from Ram. You will find such type of entertainment in ‘RED’. We have borrowed only the basic plot from ‘Thadam’. Each of the scenes has been rehashed and everything is served fresh in the remake. I liked the story of ‘Thadam’ and wanted to bring it to the Telugu audience. There is a dual role, there is love, there is drama.

Dual roles are totally different

The two Rams in the movie are a total contrast. Their upbringing, their environments, their natures are different. In order to avoid cliches, I have worked around the characterizations. ‘Raghuvaran B.Tech’ worked big-time in Telugu despite it being released 100 days after the Tamil original. Since I wrote the film I know how many changes we made even though it’s a dubbed film. You can imagine how many changes I have made for this remake of ‘Thadam’. 

I can’t comment on why more and more remakes are being made in Telugu. Speaking for myself, I have dealt with ‘RED’ in a unique way while borrowing the basic plot from ‘Thadam’. 

An atypical thriller

Thrillers are usually constricted. But ‘RED’ is different. It has not only got female characters and a love story, it is also commercial in the typical sense of the term. Every character and dialogue is story-driven. Everything will be justified in the story. The three main characters (the two Rams and the other one played by Nivetha Pethuraj) are the most crucial. 

Heroines have strong roles

Nivetha’s character is going to be very interesting. She is a very good performer, who has held the story. Amritha Aiyer is a girl-next-door. Malavika Sharma’s is another interesting character. 

That’s why hero-centric song

There are only three songs in the movie. Since the audience expects a hero-oriented song, we have infused ‘Dinchak’, which has got Hebah Patel as a dancer. The character played by Ram is quite crazy. At the same time, he is a thinking and mature person. 

Upcoming movie

My next film with Sharwanand is going to be an original. During the pandemic, I have prepared a bound script for the film. I have also penned two stories because I had plenty of time after the completion of ‘RED’. I personally like love stories and family dramas. I prefer emotional content. Recently, I liked ‘Trance’ and ‘Kumbalangi Nights’ in Malayalam.