A pig's tale

Walking into the film studio, one can see an unusual sight actor Suresh Babu’s granddaughter playing with a piglet while he watches on. This piglet is being used as a reference to create a 3D piglet, Bunty, for his upcoming film Adhugo.  The film, being directed by Ravi Babu, took two-and-a-half-years to get completed. “Now, the film is ready and we are planning to release it for the coming Dasara festival,” says Suresh Babu.

But why did it take so long?  “First, we tried to create the piglet with 2D animation but we completely failed. We then had to do 3D animation, which took more time,” says the producer.

Multiple stories revolve around the piglet. “Two young couples fall in love, get separated and get united again because of the piglet. There’s also a huge land scam that’s resolved because of Bunty. There are other elements like dog versus pig race, cats and so on,” says Suresh Babu, who is sure that people will love this emotional movie. 

The wait has been frustrating. “When I saw the work after six months, nothing seemed to have moved and we seemed stuck where we started. It was like reading the same newspaper every day for months,” says the director. 

But both Ravi Babu and Suresh Babu seem to be satisfied with the output.  “This film is definitely going to set another benchmark for Telugu cinema. I am sure we have taken one step forward with this film. I can’t compare it with Hollywood films but with the available technology, I feel we have been able to make a very good film,” says Suresh Babu, who feels visual effects will be key in the future of cinema. 

Recalling the graphics-heavy films made in recent years, he says, “If you look at films like Ammoru, Arundhati, Eega, Robo and Baahubali, all of them have used extraordinary graphic visuals, making the storytelling better.” Suresh Babu says his three-year-old granddaughter watches Peppa Pig, a popular TV show. “People like all animals. But it all depends on how you portray them,” says the producer, adding that he is planning a cartoon series and a comic book on the adventures of Bunty once the film releases. Though the makers didn’t reveal the budget of the film, it is expected to be around '12 crore. They have already sold the Hindi rights for a good price.