Rajamouli garu is a big inspiration, says Tamil producer Gnanavel Raja
By : BVS Prakash
Update: 2024-10-26 10:54 GMT
Leading Tamil producer K E Gnanavel Raja claims that ace Telugu filmmaker S S Rajamouli is truly an inspiration for South filmmakers. “He opened up windows for Telugu and Tamil movies with his expansive vision and lavish making,” says Raja who is returning to Telugu states with ‘Kanguva’ after tasting success with path-breaking ‘Thangalan’. On his ambitious plans of garnering Rs 2,000 crore, 'There is a plan behind it,’ he tells Deccan Chronicle in a chit chat.
Q: Tamil star Suriya hails S S Rajamouli and was there any specific reason?
A: Suriya was quite honest and stated a fact about Rajamouli Garu. Along with me, even director Shiva besides many filmmakers in the south would take him as a big inspiration for his expansive imagination and breath-taking visuals to reach out to the worldwide audience. He also helped regional cinema to breach regional and language barriers with his movies and grabbed the eyeballs of viewers across the shores. If not for him, we wouldn’t have dared to make a lavish film like “Kanguva’ and reach out to non-Tamil viewers.
Q: Except for one Hindi film ‘Dangal’, no other film touched the Rs 2000 crore mark. It was made possible since it was a blockbuster in China and collected Rs 800 crore in the neighboring country.
A: We have a plan and strategy in place before predicting an unheard-of box office number of Rs 2000 crore. We will be releasing our film in China and Japan but not simultaneously but we will have deferred releases like 'Dangal.. There are certain rules framed by the Chinese government, so we have to do a few things and then hit theaters in China. However, we would be releasing in 10 different languages in theatres worldwide and another 25 languages for digital space. Boasting universal themes and lavish adventure, our primary target is 30-odd languages since we want our film to be watched in Korea, Africa, and a few European countries.
Q: Your last production ‘Thangalan’ is set in the pre-Independence era and is now a unique tribal warrior movie ‘Kanguva’. Both Vikram and Suriya have gone in for a makeover and look stunning in new avatars.
A: We have realized that audience tastes have changed drastically after ‘The Covid era’. Their expectations have touched the roof and we need to cater to them with larger-than-life movies. We have to invent new worlds and exciting backdrops and place our heroes among new conflicts and menacing baddies. Heroism has to be elevated to the next level and then create a fictional world on screen with Visual Effects and CGI and draw in the audience. Now, the preference of a viewer in a local town like Villupuram and a viewer sitting in a swanky US theatre is almost blurring. Hence, we are pushing the envelope and creating utopian worlds and gigantic stories.
Q: Something about your relationship with Telugu production house UV Creations?
A: UV Creations is a highly respected banner in Tollywood and they are releasing Telugu versions of ‘Kanguva’. We share a great rapport and would continue working together because we share more than just a working relationship. We also think alike about movie making.