Success gave me a new high

Saagar K Chandra is one of those directors who quit his IT job in the US to pursue his dreams of filmmaking. After making his directorial debut with Ayyare (2012) and followed up with hit film Appatlo Okadundevadu (2016), Saagar got his first big break with Bheemla Naayak, starring Pawan Kalyan and Rana Daggubati.

The young filmmaker states that the action thriller gave him a new high. “Bheemla Naayak success meant a lot to me; it took my graph as a filmmaker to the next level,” says Saagar. The fact that the super success came in his 10th year of journey in the industry makes it even more special.

According to the filmmaker, working with Pawan Kalyan has been a learning experience. Saagar however, says that more than the craft he had learnt a lot of qualities merely by observing Pawan’s approach to films. “Pawan garu gives it a full short; there are no half hearted measures. He wants to keep it simple; he believes films are a collaborative effort,” says Saagar describing him as a ‘phenomenon’.

While he had been under constant pressure wielding the baton for a Pawan-starrer, the director further explains the actor has put him at ease. Pawan advised him to focus on the characters and the script, and that the film does the rest of the talking.

“Anyone can easily get carried away with such following. Despite his super stardom, Pawan garu is very humble and his knack to surrender to the character is something to learn from,” says the director, who has already signed on two more films with leading production houses.

“The script work is underway and other modalities are being worked out,” says Saagar who turns 37 this May.