Without Chiru Sir, I would not have attempted Vishwambara

Chiranjeevi’s next film has been titled Vishwambara. Directed by Mallidi Vassishta of Bimbisara fame, the movie is a socio-fantasy.

From the recently released concept teaser, it is inferred that the film is about the cosmic body and is set in a new universe.

“Vishwambara means ‘bearer of the universe.’ The film features the pancha bhutas (five elements)— earth, sky, water, fire and air. How the protagonist’s life is connected to these five elements is the crux of the story,” the director says. He adds that he wrote the film keeping Chiru in mind. “Had he said No to the story, I would not have attempted the film with another actor,” he shares.

The director recalls how nervous he was when he met Chiranjeevi for the first time to pitch the storyline. “But Chiru sir made me comfortable and gave me confidence and I narrated the story for 20 minutes,” he shares, adding that the Megastar had liked the idea from the word go. “The high I got while narrating the story to Chiru garu was inexplicable,” the director says.

After two weeks, Vassishta came back with a concrete script and narrated the story. And Chiru gave his nod. “Chiru garu wanted the story to be the driving force, and that’s how we have developed it,” he says.

Whenever there’s talk about Chiru being part of socio-fantasy films, people want to know if it will be on the lines of 1990 blockbuster Jagadeka Veerudu Athiloka Sundari (JVAS). But Vassishta clarifies that though it belongs to the same genre, Vishwambara is a different film that offers a unique experience.