2 February 2023
Hyderabad
Suhas is a bundle of nerves as Writer Padmabhushan, which is making all the right noises, is hours away from a theatrical rollout. The fact that it is his maiden big screen release as a solo lead is adding to his nervousness more. In an exclusive conversation with idlebrain.com, he spoke about how life changed after Colour Photo, playing a psychopath in HIT2: The Second Case, Writer Padmabhushan and its genesis, shooting in home town Vijayawada for the film, keeping a tab on YouTube and upcoming projects.
You’ve been to different places for the special premiers of Writer Padmabhushan. What reactions have you got so far?
The response has been fantastic all over. Everybody is giving a standing ovation and clapping for the film after the conclusion. Even senior citizens are standing up and clapping. It has been overwhelming to say the least.
You’ve received widespread critical acclaim for Colour Photo. Has life changed after it?
Yes, it did. Initially I was afraid because it was dropping on an OTT platform and I didn’t know where my life was headed to. For the first one-three days, I didn’t understand much. As appreciation continued to pour in from all corners, it took some time for me to soak in it. Allu Arjun garu called us personally and spoke about the film. Life has indeed turned after Colour Photo.
You were the surprise package in HIT 2. Weren’t you worried about playing a negative role as you’ve already committed to multiple films as a lead?
I wasn’t. I was happy that I was getting to play the main villain so early in my career. I’ve always wished to explore such roles in between lead role films. Many people lauded my performance in it. Some people who watched the premier shows of Writer Padmabhushan said they got scared of me in HIT 2 but after watching Padmabhushan, they felt they saw the old Suhas.
The trailer of Writer Padmabhushan has deeply penetrated into the market. Were you anticipating such a response?
Somewhere I felt that people will watch the trailer as it was coming after Colour Photo won a national award. However, the reach it got was beyond my expectation. To garner 10 million views, 200k likes was something I didn’t expect. Nor did I expect a plethora of positive comments. Such support… What more can I ask for? It’s a happy feeling. I’m waiting to see how the people would react to the film when it opens in cinemas.
Can you share with us the genesis of the film?
Film’s director Shanmukha Prasanth was initially a writer on the short film Runner, which was produced by Chai Bisket Films. He was the assistant director on Colour Photo and the writer on Family Drama. I’ve known him since 2016. During the shoot of Colour Photo, he shared with me a storyline, which got me excited pronto. I immediately approached Chai Bisket founders Anurag Anna and Sharath Anna, informing them that I heard a beautiful script and they too should listen. I’ve arranged a narration for them the next day. They got excited and set the wheels in motion soon after. From the moment they heard the script to the moment the film got wrapped up, everything went at a fast clip.
What part of the script appealed to you the most?
It’s an entertaining script from start to finish. In particular, everybody will connect to the last 20 minutes of the film. In addition to the writer’s plot, we are narrating something else and people got connected to it at the premiers so far, resulting in the unanimous positive response.
What kind of brief did you get from the director about your role or did he leave it to you to interpret him in your own way?
He did give me a brief. Also, our frequent interactions as he was finishing the bound script helped me to picture the role in my head; in fact he injected the character into me. In addition, before we went to the shoot, we rehearsed for 15 days with co-actors, helping me to understand the behavior pattern of my character for different scenes.
You people managed to complete the film in 43 days while you allotted 60 working days. That is some speed…
Everybody on set was a friend. In fact, I told my team well in advance that we should take our first shot by 6:30 am. Sometimes when I wanted it to be taken at 6: 00 am, my director of photography, who is a dear friend, would scold me, saying he needs to arrange lights and it can happen only after 6:30 am (smiles). As actors we would prepare for our scenes the day before, so that way we would save time on the shoot day. We would repeat the same process. We would start by 6:30 am and end by 6:30 pm. We completed the film in two schedules. The fact that the cinematographer was swift with his work also helped the cause.
You are a Vijayawada lad and you shot the film there. That must’ve been memorable and emotional.
It was indeed. Vijayawada backdrop was perfect for the film as the biggest book festival takes place at Vijayawada’s PWD Grounds. The city is filled with libraries and it has a reading culture. Initially, the director considered some other place but the producers said that as Vijayawada has a reading culture, why not set it there? We got great support shooting in the city. At one particular location, we were asked whether we had the consent to shoot but the walkers intervened and told the opposing party how they could stop local Bejawada lads from not shooting.
What was it like working with seniors like Ashish Vidyarthi and Rohini?
It was fantastic. Initially, I was scared of how to interact with them and how to discuss work. But from the first day itself, they got connected to us like friends and gave complete support. They would arrive on time and finish their portions quickly. It was a great memory shooting with them.
What aspect of Shanmukha Prasanth impressed you the most?
His writing and his spot improvisations are fantastic. When someone is prepping for his dialogue, he would come and say add this and add that to the dialogue. His improvisations would induce more laughter. At times, the co-director would ask people around Prasanth to snatch his pen and paper as he is improving everything (smiles). Plus, he is very quick with his decision-making abilities.
Are you an avid reader in real life?
I read but not regularly. If I start reading a book, it will take some time for me to complete it. I must have read Rhonda Byrne’s The Secret five-six times to gather courage. Right now though, I’m too occupied to read.
On what basis do you pick your roles? Does the script have to tick some boxes for you?
I’m not into calculations. Also, I’m not someone who thinks that a script should be in a certain way. If I get excited by the narration, I immediately green-lit it. I don’t even see whether my character has less or more scope. If you watch Writer Padmabhushan, you can notice there are many other important characters other than mine. Similarly in Ambajipeta Marriage Band, there are other key characters as well.
YouTube boosted your career. Do you keep a tab on exciting new voices and storytellers there?
I rarely watch Netflix and Amazon Prime; I’m mostly on YouTube. I catch new short films, web series whenever I’m free. I check out new YouTubers and see vlogs as well. I haven’t forgotten YouTube; it has been my life.
This is your first theatrical release as a solo lead and the film is carrying a good amount of buzz. What are your emotions like as the release day approaches?
The producers have pulled out all stops to ensure that the film is promoted well. The fact that I’m a product of Chai Bisket meant that they went the extra mile. The team toiled hard so that I could win. I’m getting emotional as I speak. I’m nervous about the release but at the same time the team is giving me no breathing space as I’m promoting the film non-stop. I’m happy but I’m waiting for Friday. Generally for small films the talk spreads after the evening shows, so I’m waiting for it. Also, people should come to the theatres, right? So I have that tension.
What else have you got coming up?
I’ve completed Ambajipeta Marriage Band for GA-2 Pictures. It will be my next release as it is ready. There is Anandrao Adventures, directed by debutant Ram Pasupuleti. It is a fantasy drama and has a lot of CG work. There is also Prasanna Vadanam, which is a thriller.
-NAGARAJ GOUD
