Kishore Kumar Pardasani (Dolly), the director of 'Katamarayudu', is happy that the film is doing very well. In this chat-a-thon, he talks about why he directed this remake, what kind of a personality Pawan Kalyan is, and more.

What made you accept the offer to do 'Katamarayudu'?

I liked the basic story line of 'Veeram', of which this is a remake. I felt that the strong element of love story should be elevated. The premise of a woman-eschewing 'rayudu' falling in love and what follows after that is interesting.

Are you not afraid that you will be branded as a remake director?

I wouldn't do it if it's a scene for scene copy. If I have to do an as-it-is remake, it won't interest me at all. I go for remakes only if I feel that it can be bettered. Even in case of an original film, the impact of some other movie or movies is anyways there.

If you see the original and 'Katamarayudu', you find a huge difference. We changed the first half totally. Even in the case of 'Gopala Gopala', the God's character came with a lot of changes.

The team of writers (Vasu Varma, Akula Shiva, Srinivas Reddy, Bhupathi Raja, etc) chipped in with their own strengths. The film is a team work. It's not a single person's contribution.

Why was Tarun Arora's character introduced so late?

Tarun Arora's character was supposed to come in the second half of the second half. Till then, the audience are totally into entertainment.

Coming to Pawan Kalyan's look, what went into taking the call?

The attire, the performance, everything about him is new. We were amazed to see him in 'pancha kattu' on the first day. It was not easy to show him in that look throughout. How good you mold a big star into the character you want is where the crux lies. Every hero comes with a certain image. You can't take, for example, Salman Khan out of the character he is playing.

Did you get a freehand?

If you are clear about what you want to deliver, no actor would interfere. I was given an absolute freehand because we had done the homework properly. The confidence you convey to the director and producer matters.

What is the audience's feedback like?

The response is humongous. I watched the movie in a theatre on the second day. The audience were reacting even to small, small incidents.

The kind of piracy that 'Katamarayudu' has suffered, probably no other film has. Piracy kills creativity and movie-watching experience.

It's said that Pawan is quite serious on the sets. What is the truth?

He is not at all angry. He is very cool. He would discuss a lot of interesting stuff about a range of topics with us. That's why I could connect with him so fast.

You have done only a few films over the years. Don't you think you are too slow?

I don't believe in that. To me, cinema is not work or about money. It's my passion. I may take 3 months or 3 years on a film. It doesn't matter. I never knew anything else aside from films.