With his last movie ATANOKKADE being a stupendous success. All eyes are on the Kalyan Ram’s latest offering ASADHYUDU, under the banner of Maharshi Cinema. Kalyan Ram who gave an critically acclaimed performance in the movie ABHIMANYU, proved himself to be a bankable hero with ATANOKKADE. And with his new movie ASADHYUDU seems an equally promising one. In an interview with Ragalahari he speaks about his latest movie.
Q: How different is your character in ASADHYUDU from what you played in ATANOKKADE?
A: My character in ATANOKKADE was that of a single emotion. I mean he portrayed the same emotion through the movie. He is never jovial. He has a certain aim which he is striving to achieve. But the hero in ASADHYUDU is very different. We made him more entertaining. He is a funny, jovial college going student in the first half of the movie. And in the second half we showed him as a sentimental and emotional person.
Q: Tell us about the heroine in ASADHYUDU?
A: The heroine’s role is a glamour maintained role. The story essentially belongs to the hero. It surrounds the hero’s character.
Q: Is the story about the hero fighting for his cause or for a social cause?
A: No. It’s about a social cause.
Q: But the title ASADHYUDU suggests more towards a one man story?
A: ASADHYUDU in the sense, it means a person who fought for a social cause is ASADHYUDU. That is how it is being portrayed.
Q: What are the high lights of the movie?
A: The story is well projected. The story and the screen play are the high lights of the movie. It is not a stylish movie. It is a normal commercial movie. Some new techniques of photography have been used. That’s all.
Q: What about the music?
A: The music definitely plays a major part in the movie. By god’s grace the music is doing well. But the re-recording was done by a different person. Chakri did not do the re-recording. We had a re-recording specialist to do it because in such kind of movies sounds enhance the story line.
Q: Is it a suspense movie?
A: No. It is not a suspense movie. It is a thriller. Some aspects are just kept in the dark and reveled later. It has an interesting screen play.
Q: What is the difference between ASADHYUDU and ATANOKKADE?
A: ATANOKADE is a revenge based subject while ASADHYUDU is a revolt based subject. That is the main difference. There are some similar interests between the two. The screen play of ASADHYUDU is as interesting as that of ATANOKKADE.
Q: How different are the fight sequences in this movie?
A: ATANOKADE had a lot of chasing. In this movie there is a lot of physical fighting. As in I go one on one with the other person.
Q: In ATANOKKADE the Pooranapool was high lighted in the action sequences. Any such sites high lighted in ASADHYUDU?
A: Yes there is. We shot for eight days at RK beach in Vizag. A fight sequence was shot with a rain effect. The sequence was shot with a 500 FPS camera i.e. 500 frames per second. Where as the normally a 24 frames per second camera is used. That is the high light of the movie. That and a train chase sequence. And the thrill in the climax scene is a must watch.
Q: Your films are known for the fight sequences. Do you have any say in the way they are shot, in the way of suggestions?
A: Definitely. Every artist suggests. Every body must be involved. It is a team effort. A movie is not made by a single person. To think that I alone made this movie is over confidence.
Q: You debuted as a producer with ATANOKADE. Why this turn towards production?
A: I spoke of this before also. I carried around the subject of ATANOKADE for one year. I approached a couple of producers who wanted to work with me before ABHIMANYU was released. They told me that they could not finance the budget required for making this movie. One fine day I felt that if I have the confidence in myself and the subject why should I go to some body else. So finally one fine day I announced the ATANOKADE.
Q: Which is more difficult being an actor or a producer?
A: Its tough being both at the same time. And at such a young age to act as well as to produce a movie is very difficult. It’s different for an experienced actor. It is easier when you have a hat trick of hit films. Because at that time you have many people supporting you from the industry. But with me, I had only my family’s and friends support. When I was doing ATANOKKADE it was really difficult. I think both of them are difficult when seen from their individual point of view. For a producer, producing is difficult and for an actor acting is difficult.
Q: After your second movie ABHIMANYU your next two movies also start with the letter A. Is it a sentiment?
A: No. No such sentiment. If you see like that I shouldn’t be naming my movies with the letter A, because ABHIMANYU was a failure. It is the character that demanded such titles.
Q: But your character in ABHIMANYU was critically praised?
A: See I never meant that I was not happy with my role in the movie. But that does not matter. What matters is how well the movie did at the box office. That is what rules this industry. And the producer, the director and the hero are blamed for it. They are the three main people who carry the burden.
Q: Right from ABHIMANYU you have worked with all new directors. How confident are you about the director of ASADHYUDU, Anil Krishna?
A: I am very confident about him. It will show when you see the film. After listening to the story and seeing the screen play I was confident of his work. I was as excited about doing this film when I heard the story, as I was when I heard the story for ATANOKKADE.
Q: What role did your father play in your career? How much did you learn from him?
A: My father plays a vital role in me being like this. What ever I am today, it is because of my father and my mother. They are the ones who moulded me into the person I am today, into Kalyan Ram. And dad most definitely. I speak to him every day. He always gives me suggestions on about how I should be. See because we are still young and not as mature as they are. He gives us live examples, like how our grand father was. We listen to that and try to mold ourselves as such.
Q: Do you want to remake any of your grand father’s movies?
A: KANYASULKAM, MISSAMMA, GUNDAMMA KADHA are the movies I like. and PATHALA BHAIRAVI. At this age I like those movies may be when I grow older I will want to make another JUSTICE CHOWDARY. But right now I am interested in making the previous kind of movies. Lets see how it goes.
Q: What are your next projects?
A: My next project is with Teja. The Muhurat has already been held. We are planning out the schedule. Then I have one with SP Entertainments with Shyam. And another with a new director, Hari. The story for the first has been finalized and the remaining are still being discussed. Things are working out.
Q: What kind of role do you play in Teja’s movie?
A: It is a very different role. We all know that Teja’s movies are different. He presents his heroes differently. Nobody will expect to see me in the way he is presenting me. It is a very good subject. My get up and my mannerism are very different. The subject it self is very different. You probably won’t see me any such role in the future.
Q: What kind of hero do you want to present your self as? As a action or a mass hero?
A: I want to be a commercial hero. I don’t want to be known only as an action hero or a mass hero. I want to be a commercially reliable hero. I want to be liked by all audiences.
Q: Tells about your education?
A: I studied in Hyderabad till seventh. 8th, 9th and 10th I did in Vijayawada, from Siddartha residential school. Plus one and plus two I did from Vikas college, Guntur. Then engineering, computer science I did at Coimbatore. My Masters I did from Chicago. And now I am here.
Q: What is your ambition?
A: My ambition is just to be a good boy. To be known as a good human being. That’s all. I don’t want anything else.
Q: Who is your favorite heroine?
A: I like Savitri a lot. Then Soundarya and Simran. I do not have any favorites in the present lot.
Q: What are your hobbies?
A: My hobbies? Watching movies and eating food.
Q: What are your favorite dishes?
A: Nothing in particular. Anything that tastes good. But I mostly prefer Chinese food. And Italian food.
Q: Your character in ATANOKKADE likes to eat ice cream in the rain. Is it a personal taste?
A: Not at all. I stay away from rain. I just like watching it. That’s all. The character required it so I agreed to do the shot.
Q: What about your marriage?
A: That’s up to my parents. Who ever they will like and chose for me I will marry her.
Q: You are against love marriages?
A: No no nothing like that. This is my personal life. I am not against love marriages or any thing of that sort. I just want to make my parents to be happy. I mean after doing so much for me that is the least I can do for them. That is the one gift I can give them. To marry a girl they like and are happy with.
