It’s been quite some time since we saw Shekhar Kummala make an out and out love story. Well, all those complaints will be answered shortly says the talented director in his latest interview about his new release Fidaa. Here is the transcript.
Finally, you are back with a love story?
Smiles. Yes, from the past few years, I wanted to go back to doing a complete love story and that is how Fidaa was born. The moment I thought of the backdrop, Telangana came into my mind right away. The story is about a Telangana girl falling in love with a US based medico and how their paths come across.
You were supposed to work with a star hero for this film. What happened?
Yes! I narrated the script to a few heroes but things did not materialize. Then, I chanced upon Varun whom I felt was very expressive with his features and body language. Now, that the film is done, no one could have played the role better than Varun.
Choosing Sai Pallavi?
The girl’s role is very strong with a loud voice and natural beauty. Sai Pallavi was the best choice and let me tell you, she is going to be a rage post the film’s release. The way she has owned the role and spoke the Telangana accent is too much. All the girls will feel so proud of themselves after seeing Sai Pallavi in the film.
You and Dil Raju are poles apart. How was it working with him?
Both of us work in a completely different environment. He has a planned setup and I work on the spot with my team by doing things ourselves. Right from the day, the script was locked he never interfered in my work and only came on set twice. His backing has given me a lot of free hand and the way he is marketing the film with new age technology is too good.
How different is Fidaa from the regular love stories?
Fidaa will break a lot of stereotypes in Tollywood. The brother, sister and many roles in films have become stereotypes and my film will break such roles and will be quite refreshing in its approach. I can confidently say that a film like Fidaa has not come in the recent past.
When will we see you making commercial films?
I believe that even stars should cater to my kind of natural films then only we can see fresh content emerging on a solid basis. I strongly feel that star heroes should shed their mass image and do different films as the audience perspective is changing with every passing day.
Why do you take such long gaps?
For me, every project is a huge dream. It takes me years to make my films and I feel that the best comes out when I take my time and write according to my gut feeling. I lose five to six kilos for every film as I take all the pain and work equally with my team on a daily basis.
About Fidaa’s box office potential?
I have seen the film four times already and it has turned out quite stunningly. Fida is a poetic love story which will be like a fresh air in this heavy pollution of commercial cinema and will be a box office by storm.
