Sunny Deol nicely fits into larger-than-life roles, says Gopichand Malineni
Young Telugu director Gopichand Malineni is making his debut in Bollywood with an action film ‘JAAT’ and has enjoyed working with action star Sunny Deol. He has worked with big stars like Balakrishna, Venkatesh and Ravi Teja in Telugu and moved to Bollywood without much plan. “I got an opportunity and I just grabbed it," he says. He tells Deccan Chronicle that Telugu films have breached regional and language barriers and are being watched all over India these days.
Q: How is it working with Bollywood star Sunny Deol?
A: He is a great actor and a good human being too. He has attained a huge larger-than-life image with films like ‘Ghayal, ‘Indian’ and ‘Gadar’ and is hailed as a hero of masses in Bollywood. When I got an opportunity to work with him, I didn’t even bat an eyelid before saying yes to this big project. He was very professional and used to grasp things much faster and it was easy to work with such a seasoned actor. Despite being my debut, I didn’t feel alien to the locations since most of the film was shot in Hyderabad and southern states. However, Sunny Deol plays fiery farmer and would be delivering powerful punchlines besides flexing his muscles and it is going to enthral his fans and viewers as well.
Q: You also worked with Telugu mass hero Balakrishna and tasted success with 'Veera Simha Reddy'?
A: Working with Balakrishna garu is always superb and fantastic. He is very jovial and very professional too. I was happy to enthrall Nandamuri fans and other audiences with ‘Veera Simha Reddy’. Actually, I found few similarities between Sunny Deol and Balakrishna garu. Both are known for their ‘anger-driven roles’ and also woo masses in big numbers with their power-packed dialogues and action episodes. In fact, they are saviours of single screen theatres in India because they draw crowds even in remote towns and helped single screens to survive the onslaught of multiplex culture. Mass heroes with a golden heart too.
Q: What is your take on Telugu movies going pan-India?
A: This is a welcome trend and gives a lot of exposure to Telugu directors, unlike in the past. Frankly, I don’t need to do a Hindi film to reach out to Hindi speaking viewers, rather I could do a Telugu film with a big star and reach out to the same audience, albeit with dubbed versions. The Pan India idea has breached regional and language barriers and is taking Telugu film all over the country because Telugu films have their distinct style. Now, non-Telugu viewers are patronising our action adventures and hero-centric entertainers. Telugu cinema is expanding and producers are able to cover their investments by releasing in other languages.
Q: You had delivered big hits from ‘Balupu’ to ‘Krack’ with Ravi Teja? Any plans to reunite?
A: We had a great time together and also shared a good bonding. We also understand each other better. Definitely, I’ll work with Ravi Teja once I find the right script and it will happen at the right time. Just a matter of time and both of us are also tied up with prior commitments right now.