Producer Abhishek Nama of 'Keshava', 'Goodachari' and 'Saakshyam' fame is going to release 'Ravanasura' on April 7. In this interview, the producer talks about the Ravi Teja-starrer at length. He sees a lot of potential in the film.
"Director Sudheer Varma (of 'Swamy Ra Ra' fame) is sound on the technical front. That's why the budget for this film didn't shoot up," Nama says, adding that Harshavardhan Rameshwar's background music will be a huge plus. "He comes from a family of musicians. I worked with him on 'Saakshyam'. Since it didn't work, I have given him a platform again," Nama adds.
The film's story is from Srikanth Vissa.
I am an experienced distributor and I am releasing 'Ravanasura' on my own. I haven't sold it to other distributors because I am confident about the content of the film. My faith in 'Ravanasura' is making me go for an 'own release', regardless of the box-office result.
It was Ravi Teja who first okayed the story. He is also one of the producers. So far, he has played playful and entertaining roles. For the first time, you are going to see him in a shocking role this Friday. The very interval point will shock the audience, giving them a new experience.
Ravi Teja has seen enough hits in his long career. If an artist attempts something exciting, the audience will lap up the character wholeheartedly. When films like 'Kantara' are released, our audience are wowed. That's only when other language heroes do such roles. But when our heroes attempt experimentation, our audiences are reluctant. Ravi Teja has dared to break the mould a lot of times in his career.
Thrillers come with a twist or a wow factor. We have hidden the plot of 'Ravanasura' so that the audience get to see the surprise factor for themselves on the big screen. Our film has got a new concept. It's a novel attempt. If 'Ravanasura' clicks, many more spin-offs are going to be there.
We sought 'A' rating from the CBFC after the Board members suggested thirty cuts. Those many cuts would have affected the impact of the scenes negatively.
You are going to see a new Sushanth. He comes with an innocent mien and face. That's why he has been chosen for this unconventional role.
On previous movies: My first film with Sudheer Varma is Nikhil Siddhartha's 'Keshava'. We expected it to become a blockbuster. However, it didn't reach that level. That said, it was a safe project for me as a producer. 'Saakshyam', starring Bellamkonda Sreenivas, failed at the cost level. Its budget went beyond the hero's market range.
On upcoming movies: Kalyanram's 'Devil: The British Secret Agent' is going to be wrapped up soon. Its climax is being shot. It will be released in 2-3 months in theatres. It's a pan-India movie, whose budget is more than that of 'Bimbisara'. After 'Bimbisara' became a blockbuster, I am more confident about 'Devil'. There will be 'Devil 2' as well. In 2024, we will be launching 6-7 movies, big, small, content-driven and all sorts of projects.
When I was a distributor, production looked tough. When I am producing movies, distribution seems tough (laughs). A producer wouldn't know the dynamics of the distribution job. A distributor as networking down to the last mile.
After the Covid-19 pandemic, there was uncertainty regarding the theatrical business. Lately, the theatrical business is getting streamlined again. The confusion is slowly getting subsided.
