Director Sree Harsha Konuganti awaits the release of 'Rowdy Boys' on January 14. In this interview, the 'Hushaaru' director talks about working with debutant Asish, the talented team of technicians such as Devi Sri Prasad, teaming up with Dil Raju, and more.
'Prema Desam' is not an inspiration for this movie. I have infused incidents that I have observed in my life. There are incidents in this movie that I witnessed as a college-goer.
The hero's character is whacky, crazy. He sports tattoos, which were designed in Mumbai. In my first movie, 'Hushaaru', Rahul Ramakrishna had a pivotal role. You won't find him in 'Rowdy Boys'. After all, he was busy with 'RRR'. Racha Ravi has got an interesting role instead.
Dil Raju garu called me after the success of 'Hushaaru' and asked me to narrate a youthful subject. I pitched to him the subject the very next day. We sat on the story for two months and the producer was really satisfied. It has been years since we have seen a pure college campus story.
There was no pressure. But since Asish is a member of Raju garu's family, extra care was taken by the producers. They were involved more to ensure the best output.
The characterization suits Asish's real-life personality. Despite being a newcomer, his acting is quite mature. He has delivered an all-round performance like an experienced actor.
You won't find twists in the story. It's a straightforward screenplay. But it will give you highs every 10 minutes. The pacing is racy. 140 minutes is the run-time.
The 'Date Night' song has been conceived keeping in view how college get-togethers happen in Western countries. Coming to the title, the whimsicality of the hero's character is captured by it. College-goers will instantly relate to the emotions and incidents narrated in the movie. Others will get nostalgic.
Cinematographer Madhie garu has done movies like 'Saaho'. He is quite strong in understanding a script. Rajeevan sir and others are also highly experienced. Devi Sri Prasad garu and Dil Raju garu worked together to get the best tunes. After all, they have collaborated with each other on repeat for two decades. He has given refreshing tunes. His tunes are not regular. Doing a college campus movie after doing big, mass masala movies must have felt new to him.
We auditioned a number of actresses for the heroine's role. She is elder than the hero and I looked for someone who can look calm, young and cool. We did a test shoot.
Vikram Sahidev has got intense eyes. His character doesn't talk much and emotes through his eyes. He has got a full-fledged role. Karthik Ratnam of 'Care Of Kancharapalem', Tej Kurapati, Komalee Prasad, Racha Ravi, and Srikanth Iyengar have all got impactful roles. They are there for a purpose. 'Rowdy Boys' is a character-based movie, not a story-based one.
The film starts with a bang. Action blocks are integral to the story. The Engineering Vs Medical College trope has been milked for a huge action block in which 1500 members participated. The technical department is comprised of technicians from Mumbai.
Girls will like the movie especially. It's because their point of view is going to be highlighted in the second half.
I met with Jr NTR garu when he released the trailer. I was speechless in his presence. I thank his fans for amplifying the trailer.
I will think about my next project after the release of 'Rowdy Boys'. I did think up a few ideas during the lockdown. I will try various genres. I like youthful movies with a touch of realism more than mass masala movies.
