As a producer, would like to strike a balance between commerce and creativity

New-age producer Jhanvi Narang has a legacy to carry forward, as the granddaughter of renowned filmmaker Narayan Das Narang. She joined hands with Rana Daggubati to produce a romantic comedy and also handle the production work of the upcoming Kubera, featuring Dhanush. “My graduate degree in Commerce has come in handy,” says Jhanvi in an interview.

Excerpts:

We hear you are handling the production of the big action flick Kubera, being made with over ₹ 100 crore?

Yes. It is a challenging and responsible task. I can’t reveal the figures but it is one of the costliest films in Telugu cinema. It is being made with Tamil superstar Dhanush and ace director Sekhar Kammula. I am also looking into cash outflow and weighing options before handing out cash on the sets. I am very keen to cut wastage but would like to spend money on things that will reflect on the big screen. I have to be judicious without being stingy. I also believe that production is not just about doling out cash but about understanding the creative aspect behind each rupee spent. I would like to be a creative producer and strike a balance between commerce and creativity.    

What was it like to work with Dhanush?

Honestly, I have learnt to be humble like him. He has achieved numerous feats in his illustrious career and is a National Award-winning actor with an enviable body of work; yet he is a simple and nice human being. Working and interacting with him has been an amazing experience. Similarly, Sekhar Kammula is a master-craftsman but is quite down-to-earth and friendly too. I had a great time working with them and others.

You have teamed up with actor-producer Rana Daggubati to dish out a new age romantic comedy, isn’t it?

It was great to work with Rana. He has a creative eye and has been a guiding force for me. He has the patience to wait for a screenplay to evolve. Although I have learnt to judge novelty in a script, I learnt from Rana that we have to develop patience and spend a lot of time drafting a gripping screenplay until we are satisfied, rather than rushing things. He is very knowledgeable about world cinema and understands the pulse of the new-age audience.

You and Rana belong to the third generation of illustrious families, right?

True. While my grandfather Narayan Das Narang was a producer, exhibitor and much more, my dad Sunil Narang is a top exhibitor and distributor and is into production too. I have started my production plans and want to make more thematic films. Similarly, Rana is a third-generation filmmaker from the illustrious Daggubati family. His grandfather Rama Naidu produced a record number of movies, while his father Suresh Babu is a renowned producer too. My joining hands with Rana mirrors the wonderful bonhomie between our families. I have a great legacy to live up to, and I’ll definitely give it a shot.

What did you qualify in, academically? Do you have plans to run theatres too?

I completed my graduation in Commerce in India and Masters in Marketing from the UK before plunging into production. I gained some experience by working with a few people before taking over the production of Kubera. My studies have come in handy in terms of financial management and my marketing knowledge will come into play very soon.

After watching world cinema on OTT, I have realised the importance of ‘novel content’ and I plan to stick to that.

However, I have no plans to run theatres since it’s my father’s domain. I am happy to be a producer who makes movies for new-generation Telugu audiences.

‘Dhanush has achieved numerous feats in his illustrious career and is a National Award-winning actor with an enviable body of work; yet he is a simple human being. Working and interacting with him has been an amazing experience.’

‘It was great to work with Rana. He has a creative eye, has the patience to wait for a screenplay to evolve. I learnt from Rana that we have to develop patience and spend a lot of time drafting a gripping screenplay until we are satisfied, rather than rushing things. He is very knowledgeable about world cinema and understands the pulse of the new-age audience.’

‘I am very keen to cut wastage but would like to spend money on things that will reflect on the big screen. I have to be judicious without being stingy. I also believe that production is not just about doling out cash but about understanding the creative aspect behind each rupee spent.’