When the first look poster of actor Vijaya Rama Raju from Arjun Chakravarthy was released recently, it attracted a lot of interest. The film is inspired by a Kabaddi player who represented India in the 1980s.
“I was always inspired by stories of that player during my childhood. In fact, the physical trainer at my school trained under him and he used to tell us great stories about him,” says Vikrant Rudra, himself a Kabaddi player who represented AP state in the Under-14 category. He says he started writing short stories about unsung heroes.
When he was pursuing his graduation (NIT) in Delhi, he frequently watched theatre plays and listened to top Bollywood filmmakers sharing their experiences after the plays. The exposure inspired him to make a feature film. Vikrant quit his lucrative IT job to pursue his passion — films.
He says the film is not about the sport but more about the spirit of the person and his success story. It’s about how the sportsman overcame problems in his personal life. Also, this particular player hails from Nalgonda, and Vikrant wanted all Telugus to know about him.
“He was a brilliant player, but was a victim of politics in sports, and several sports organisations did not give him due recognition. He lost his loved ones, and suffered a downfall. But he rises from the ashes, and the film chronicles all that,” shares the director.
Arjun Chakravarthy also talks about the rights of a sportsperson. Vikrant gathered a lot of information on the subject, speaking to friends and colleagues of the Kabaddi player.
Asked why he cast Vijay Rama Raju, a fresh face, as protagonist, the director says he approached several stars, but none of them were willing to undergo the many necessary variations in look. “The film chronicles the player’s life from a 17-year-old to a 40-year-old; there are many look changes,” he explains, adding, “I conducted auditions and eventually zeroed in on Vijay. He’s a terrific performer.”
