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Venkatesh

Defying the image trap

Unfortunately here, you are assessed only with one yardstick that is commercial success. But I judge my films on creative grounds and not on commercial terms. Similarly Aamir Khan accepted Earth 1947 to play a different character not expecting it to become a big success like Sarfarosh.

The regional press has dubbed him the victory hero, with good reason, too. And though he continues to spring surprises on his fans, defy the image trap and experiment even with offbeat themes, success comes to him, notwithstanding.A tryst with Victory Venkatesh:

Producer RB Chowdhury was confident of scoring a hat-trick of hits with Seenu after the two blockbusters Sooryavamsham and Raja but it only evoked mixed response?

It is illogical to compare Seenu with my earlier hits since it wasn’t a regular commercial film. Yet, it was appreciated by the audience. Both the trade and media should assess every film on its own merits without comparing it with others. Every film has its target of audience and all films need not be made for all sections, or we’d be limited to one particular formula. I started choosing a variety of characters to wriggle out of the formula so I was clear about the kind of response I expected. Like my earlier blockbusters, Sooryavamsham and Raja the film opened to a good response and after a slight drop in collections picked up from the fourth week to become a massive hit. Though Seenu surpassed my hits Ganesh and Pellichesukundam in opening collections, I think the ideal period to judge a film would be after 50 days. I also feel that it ought to have been sold for a moderate price instead of the astronomical sum it was sold for.

You wanted to promote the film in a different way but it was promoted as a regular commercial film?
We did plan to promote it in a novel way but unfortunately, on the insistence of buyers, we had to change our mind. Even now I still feel a different film should be promoted differently and I don’t have any second thoughts about it. I shall see to it in future.

Normally stars are judged by their commercial success...
It doesn’t happen in Hollywood where Tom Hanks can simultaneously do a mega-buck movie Private Ryan and a smaller You Got A Mail and both films are judged differently. Unfortunately here, you are assessed only with one yardstick that is commercial success. But I judge my films on creative grounds and not on commercial terms. Similarly Aamir Khan accepted Earth 1947 to play a different character not expecting it to become a big success like Sarfarosh.

Raja has been the biggest hit in your career.
When the collections dropped after good openings many told me I shouldn’t have done a film like Raja. But they had to eat their words when it turned out to be the highest grosser in my career besides setting a new record in Nizam in the annals of Telugu cinema. I took it up knowing it was a safe project since I liked the original version. Similarly they criticised me when I accepted the old-man’s setup in Sooryavamsham but again it proved them wrong.

Films on characters who grovel in self-pity have failed miserably. Comment.
I took up Seenu because nearly 90 per cent of our students have an inferiority complex. Since most of these students come from rural and semi-rural areas they are in awe of the city-bred. I wanted to remove this misconception in their minds by enacting the role and I get numerous letters appreciating my efforts.

The title Victory suits you now that you are among hits...
I am going through the best phase of my career, and but for Chinabayi and Saradabulodu I’ve had 14 hits in a row. I should thank the audience for encouraging my attempts and I would like to keep them guessing with every film without getting into a pattern of roles. I did a family-based film like Pellichesukundam and an actioner Ganesh and followed it up with a youthful entertainer Premente Iddare. I prefer to choose universal themes to attract all sections of audience instead of aiming at one section. I enjoyed playing all of my last eight roles, particularly for the variety.

Telugu writers says the advent of remakes has scuttled their chances. Do you accept remakes due to the dearth of local talent?
Right now our writers are definitely short of ideas. It’s like a cycle so soon, they will be back in the reckoning. Surprisingly all my remakes led to controversy. Many were reluctant to take up films of Bhagyaraj and Padiarajan but I readily accepted. My conviction was proved right when both Sundarakanda and Intlo Illalu Vantitol Priyulu turned out to be big hits. I have always chosen films on the strength of the subject irrespective of the actors in them. I have also declined umpteen offers to remake star films, when I wasn’t impressed with the script. Even my recent release Seenu was made with Livingston in Tamil. Doing remakes is like a challenge for artistes like me and I try to do my best. We are not creators who make films according to their tastes unmindful of the tastes of the audience. We belong to the school of hard knocks, and we survive by learning from our mistakes and keeping a tab on the changing tastes of the audience. We monitor the varying trends and make films accordingly.

You are doing a Hindi film with Karisma Kapoor after a long gap.
That’s right. It is the remake of the Tamil superhit Thulathamanam Thulum. It is a good love story with an interesting treatment and we will probably commence shooting from January once our home production is wrapped up.

Tell us about your forthcoming projects.
Our home production with Simran will be a wholesome entertainer for age groups from five to 75 and I have a very lively character in it. It will be a feel good film with a fair amount of sentiment. My next film with producer MS Raju and director Kodi Ramakrishna Deviputrudu will be a fantasy fused with sentiment, a special effects wonder. Apart from this, I will be doing a typical commercial film and also a film with the promising director Karunakaran.

How does a mass-oriented film fit into your scheme of things?
Why shouldn’t I do a typical mass film occasionally? What’s wrong in playing to the galleries for a change? I like to take a break occasionally from the regular commercial films to work in those that suit the tastes of the front-benchers.

BVS Prakash