Director Thiru makes his debut in Telugu with the Gopichand-starrer Chanakya, releasing on October 5
Barely three days after the release of Chiranjeevi-starrer Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy, the Gopichand-starrer Chanakya will hit theatres on October 5. Directed by Thiru, the espionage thriller film will feature Gopichand as a RAW agent.
Chanakya has been in the making for a while and went through an inevitable delay when the actor was injured during the shoot. Director Thiru who makes his Telugu debut with this film, had earlier directed four Tamil films — three starring Vishal and one with Gautam Karthik. Thiru is fluent in Telugu language.
The title Chanakya hints at the hero’s cunning and scheming tendencies. Ask him why he chose Gopichand as the protagonist, Thiru says he was his first choice given his tall stature and macho look, “I watch Telugu films and always wanted to direct one. When I finalised my first script for a Telugu film, I couldn’t think of anyone else other than Gopichand. I met him through a common friend and narrated the script. He suggested a few changes. I wrote this script five years back.”
The director is all praise for Gopichand, “He never peeps into the monitor, doesn’t interfere and says if I am satisfied, so is he. He met with an accident in Rajasthan, it was a grave injury. All along he was thinking of the shoot and asked for three months to recover and be fit; we wrapped up the shooting as soon as he recuperated.”
He says the audience in A centres (urban), have access to OTT platforms and are exposed to international films. Web series have also become a game changer. “I feel that if a movie does well in one language, it has the scope to be accepted in other regions as well. The pan-Indian success of Baahubali and Drishyam are examples. I have watched Gopichand’s earlier films and can say confidently that Chanakya is something he hasn’t tried earlier,” he says. Thiru asserts that though Goodacahari also belonged to the spy genre, Chanakya’s concept and approach is fresh. He watches all kinds of films to gauge which scene draws more applause, and when he writes a screenplay, the observations come in handy. He feels the audience has an aversion for preachy stuff.
The USP of Chanakya, he says, is the cat and mouse game between the hero and the villains played by Upen Patel and Rajesh Khattar. The spy film is stylish as shown in the trailer and the content matches its making. Thiru says he never crossed the number of shooting days and finished the film within the stipulated budget. He avers that a spy film is not about the hero donning dapper suits, guns and romancing good looking women; they operate with a high level physical and mental agility and in secrecy. “One will find it difficult to spot them; they could be a sales guy in a supermarket or a beggar at the temple entrance. They are forever in disguise,” he adds.
Thiru shares that the first half will have its share of entertainment from actors Sunil, Raghu Babu, Ali and heroine Mehreen Pirzada. Ask him why Gopichand uses profanity in the dialogues, he shoots back, “That promo was only for social media. Once we take it to the CBFC for certification and they seek corrections, we will comply with the instructions. The mood in the scene demands a particular word and so it has been used. The opponent’s language and action is such that the hero is forced to talk that way.”
Gopichand and Thiru on the sets
Chanakya has been shot in Rajasthan, Jaisalmer, Mandwa, Spain, Italy and Hyderabad. Cinematographer Vetri had worked with Gopichand in numerous projects, this film has the propensity to take him to another level. Vishal Chandrasekhar of Padi Padi Leche Manasu fame has scored both melody and fast numbers and Abburi Ravi has written the dialogues. As a final note, Thiru affirms that he conceived this film primarily for the Telugu audience and didn’t have a bilingual prospect in mind.
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