'Idhe Maa Katha' will be released in theatres on October 2. In this interview, Sumanth Ashwin talks about his character in the movie, working with the likes of Srikanth and Bhumika Chawla, his upcoming movies and more.
I have played a character who is fond of bike-riding, travelling and road journeys. He embarks on a journey from Hyderabad to Ladakh. My look was planned to be candid. My director loved the way I am. It's not funky in an artificial way.
Every key character has got a goal in the movie. Srikanth garu's character had a love story when he was young. Although he is rich enough, he is not satisfied. He uses a bike to reach the destination even though he can use a chartered flight. Bhumika Chalwa garu wants to fulfil the dream of her father. Ajay garu is an overconfident fellow in the movie. A race in the snow-capped Ladakh is important for them. What happens in this journey of theirs is the crux of the story. Nagpur, Chambal, Delhi, Agra, Manali, among others, are touched in their road journey.
The four characters are total strangers. How they cross paths accidentally is quite interesting. What is common between the four characters is that they all have a specific purpose in mind. They bond together and also have their set of emotions.
The project came my way before the pandemic. The first schedule was taking place in Hyderabad when Covid-19 started in China. The second schedule was planned in Ladakh and around that time came Ladakh. Since 'Idhe Maa Katha' is a road film, we couldn't have shot it then.
The film is not just about exotic locations. There are emotions, there are exciting situations. There are flashback episodes but not every character has got a flashback. Srikanth garu's character has one. The race in the snow-capped area in the climax was not easy to be shot. Everyone gave their best. Bhumika garu, for example, was ready to go out of her way.
I was too young in age when I first saw Bhumika garu at the preview of 'Yuvakudu' in her early days. I got to see her again during the making of 'Okkadu', which was produced by my father. I never imagined that I would one day get to work with her. I address her as 'Akka' in 'Idhe Maa Katha'. In one of the scenes, she rides a pillion with me. It reminded me of the 'Okkadu' days.
Director Guru Pawan is a writer first. His vision is clear. Before making 'Idhe Maa Katha', he literally travelled by road to experience the scenes. He has previously worked under Puri Jagannadh garu.
Working on the movie, I have realized that travelling by road on a bike is far more thrilling than doing it by car.
After 'Tuneega Tuneega', '7 Days 6 Nights' (which is a comedy-drama) is my first movie under the direction of my father, MS Raju garu. We are very satisfied with the output. He has made films belonging to a wide range of genres.
Producers have a lot riding on their movies. They are the first ones who bear the most risk. It's not an easy game. But the prospect of scoring a hit is exciting.
My wife Deepika Raju is a research scientist. She is currently residing in Texas on work. I can't be there in the US because I have taken Covaxin, which is not an approved vaccine for travellers.
