#BRO, starring Naveen Chandra and Avika Gor as siblings, is directed by Karthik Thupurani. With music by Sekhar Chandra, it also features Sai Ronak. Ahead of the film's release on November 19, the two main actors and their director talk about what is unique about their product.
Naveen Chandra:
We have seen brother-sister movies since the era of NTR. The biggest stars such as Chiranjeevi garu, too, have done such movies. The template of those movies is this: the sister is in trouble and the heroic brother becomes the saviour. Our movie is quite a contrast. We all experience loneliness in our lives. Some of us enter into new relationships, while others die lonely. In our movie, we have shown how a sibling becomes the companion of a lonesome man.
The scenes are relatable and will strike a chord with the young generation. We have seen Tom-n-Jerry type siblings in a lot of movies. This is a Hakuna Matata pair.
The story unfolds in Araku. It was relatively less difficult to shoot the movie during the pandemic there.
Since we shot for '#BRO' during the pandemic, it was not easy for senior artists like Sri Lakshmi garu. If someone sneezed or coughed on set, we would feel tensed, especially because the shooting spot was in Araku. She attended the shoot after travelling hundreds of kilometers. She also fell sick.
Thanks to doing this meaningful movie, I have been able to connect with my family members away from the humdrum of non-stop work.
Avika Gor:
We haven't watched brother-sister movies recently. The idea itself is nice. I was not sure whether I would be able to pull the character of a sister off. I didn't want to look fake. The director had confidence in my ability. The film is a remake of a Marathi movie.
The sister's character in the original became very popular. We took care that nobody draws comparisons and judges me unfavourably. The director improvised the emotion and detail, which helped me believe more in the script.
I feel the casting is perfect. When you watch the movie, you will want to see them a little more. You will go through their emotions.
Director Karthik:
While the root story is borrowed from a Marathi movie, we have changed the story to a substantial extent. I didn't do this movie feeling conscious about it being a remake. I got attracted to the Marathi original because it breaks the regular template. I have given my own spin and imagination. It's a completely new approach.
As far as I am concerned, it's a proper drama. The comedy is very organic. Devi Prasad garu, Sri Lakshmi garu, and Pramodini garu have also played memorable roles.
A 100-member crew worked on the movie. Everyone worked with dedication because they all loved the subject. We shot non-stop for 35 days despite a cyclone. Nature saved us from casualties and Covid-19. It was a breezy affair making the movie.
A good drama is like eating our comfort food at home. Masala movies are like eating special dishes. When you get bored of special food outside, there comes a day when you will want to eat Dal rice at home. '#BRO' is like that.
Props for my technical team, without whom my movie wouldn't have shaped up this well.
