Chandra Sekhar Yeleti, the distinctive filmmaker who often surprises with the subtle underplays, is now coming out with a completely new genre, adventure... a subject our directors would shoulder-arm, owing to the uncertain reception and a project idea producers are scared to touch coz of the budgets it requires... 'Sahasam', indeed the title justifies what he is doing... Chandu has roped in Gopichand and Tapsee as the leads and has moved in with Shyam Dutt, Sri and Selva as his army. Is produced by BVSN Prasad and Co-Produced by Reliance Entertainment. IndiaGlitz caught up with him for an exclusive chat and he was happy to disclose the highlights and share the credentials of the movie and what makes it special.
Excerpts from the conversation...
How was Sahasam ideated...
CSY: The story was there in my mind for a while. The idea stuck me when I thought about 1948 partition. Many people left their properties and were forced to leave their homeland. So, an idea stuck me what if a third generation man goes claiming the property. So, when I told this idea to Gopichand, he was excited and we thought of doing it.
Adventure films means lot of Pre production and planning. What care did you take for this film
CSY: This movie is all about the amount of hard work from all the departments, not just the director... Including Costumes, Art, Special Effects, Cinematography... And you will see it on screen and agree with me...
Were u inspired by any film or a book for this movie
CSY: No, it's not inspired by any movie or true incidents. Its totally based on our imagination 'What if such incident happens...'
Adventurous film... Did you use a lot of Technology. Like Graphics, Motion controls etc...
CSY: I believe that the story should be unique and provide scope for good technical values to be used to enhance the dramatic value. Not the other way around. We haven't worked the story with a view to employ advanced technology. That's why I said you'd appreciate every work in the film...
It's a story involving India and Pakistan, and the period of partition. Would it be controversial or create any tensions...
CSY: We haven't touched the India-Pakistan side of the story. Its all about how the hero goes to find his grandfather's property. That's it.
Who came first... Story or Gopichand
CSY: The story was in my mind from before. But when I thought of doing a film with Gopichand, I told this point and he also got connected to the genre of adventure and hence the project was on...
Were there any adventures you have done in the production, the filming part...
CSY: Yes, as the title suggests, it was an adventure for all of us on a daily basis. Especially for the action sequences, the stunt master Selva had to go thru a lot of troublesome weather where even breathing was hard and he has done a commendable job. And Gopi also cooperated with him to get a great output.
Tell us about Taapsee in this film
CSY: Tapsee's character is a very normal girl with abnormal thinking. She believes that piety and devotion to God has constantly decreasing in people and that's the reason for all the calamities. She takes it up to bring in a change in the hero and amidst an adventure, her connect with Gopi will be entertaining to watch.
Music director SRI hasn't been in the game for a while. Why did you choose him...
CSY: I always liked his compositions irrespective of their success. He's got a style of his own, especially in the Background score, which enhances the visual value of a scene. So, for an adventurous film of this type, I thought he is the right fit and he didn't disappoint me or my convictions.
DOP Shyam... Is he your personal favorite...
CSY: Very much. In fact, we wanted to introduce him thru my brother's movie itself but it didn't happen. Later he did some Malayalam movies. He is a great talent and its evident from his work in the movies Kavya's Diary and Prasthanam. He will be a great asset to this movie and you will appreciate when you watch the movie.
Shakthi Kapoor... Why was he cast...
CSY: We thought of taking someone from the North since it has Rajasthan backdrop. We zeroed in on him after short-listing three actors. He also liked the story and supported well. His character will be a highlight in the movie.
We heard that Budget was crossed the limit to filming.....is it true
CSY: Not by a huge margin but around 10-15 % of what we estimated
What's Gopi chand like in this film
CSY: Gopichand is a guy who is in a hurry to hit his goal, irrespective of the means to reach it, be it a Lottery, or any such luck. When one day he realizes that his family has a background and in fact a mysteriously rich one, he embarks on a journey to find the roots to the mystery and that's the 'Adventure' of the film.
All your films have unique subjects....not regular format... Is that a conscious decision...
CSY: Not just me, Everyone, every writer or director tries to bring out something new or tell a story in a new tone. What I do is do some research while developing the plot and incorporate the findings.
What are the Highlights of this film
CSY: There are many. Music score, cinematography, special effects... everything. Especially the climax... Last about 30% of the film will be breathtaking and will be enjoyed by everyone, that's a promis
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