Film Production Insights and Challenges

Looking at the sets, they felt so natural. How much care did you take

with the sets? We went directly to the interviews, including Suma garu's

interview, and even there, the sets felt very natural.

What kind of care did you take with the sets?

Well...

One good thing about this film is the production design.

Mm.

It's outstanding.

Next level.

Yeah, because we built that world in great detail. Thanks

to my production designer, Shivam Rao.

Well...

He traveled with me. First of all, before that, he

didn't know Rayalaseema at all.

Mm.

So first, we went around all those villages and showed him.

Someone unfamiliar with it was able to do all this?

Yeah.

Mm.

We went around all the villages completely, showed him all the houses, how it is in Rayalaseema,

what the atmosphere is like, how the heat is.

Mm.

So we traveled that extensively, photographed everything, and brought it back.

We designed it properly

Mm.

and did it.

And the hardships women faced in that era, their self-respect, so

Were you able to sh-sh-show any of that through Jayamma's character?

How much were you able to show?

Yeah, even in the second half,

if you look at Jayamma's scenes, the way she confronts Hector,

she…

the stand she takes in that situation, and

at the same time,

especially when she is home alone without her husband for many days,

um,

she displays anger. That is very realistic

for women, actually.

Um.

So, she is a very good female character.

And to make it on such a huge budget, that means

you need that kind of guts, too. And when you explained this,

how did they react and support you?

Mythri.

Um.

First of all, when I told our producers about the idea, they were excited.

They said, "Definitely, let's make a good story," and

When it comes to a period film, many producers are afraid, but Mythri...

That's why they backed it so well and lent so much

support, like, bringing in Mr. Arnold Vosloo, a Hollywood actor

and having many foreign action masters work on it, and

For the British cast, we brought in actors from many countries

Um.

Using horses and doing all this is a very expensive affair.

Um.

So, they believed in the story and that a subject like this should be told.

That's why they believed and supported it so much.

So, huge sets, VFX, action, on one side

romance, how did Jayamma get along with such a rough man?

So, it's a complete, full meal. So, when directing this,

whether in the execution or when thinking about the script, we proceed one way.

At the time of execution.

Changes keep happening in that. So, were there any changes at that time?

Were you able to do it exactly as you had envisioned?

Mm-hmm.

In the execution.

Since we worked on the script for many days, we were very clear about it.

Mm-hmm.

There may have been small changes, but there were no major changes.

Mm-hmm.

We kept shooting exactly what we had envisioned.

And how did you feel that the person cast as the villain was right for that role?

How did you decide?

That.

Oh, but at first, I didn't think it would be him.

Mm.

But once the entire character was written, we needed another British villain.

We needed a white villain. So not just any actor, because it was a

very

important character.

Mm.

Because he was playing a demon.

He doesn't wield weapons and fight from the start like a demon.

His whole philosophy is his ideology.

If he just does a close-up of his eyes, there'd be a shot where a thousand people would die.

That's it.

Mm.

So, to pull something like that off, how powerful an actor must he be? How much aura must an actor have?

So, when it was like that, I thought I'd see how far I could go and try.

I tried it randomly like that.

Mm.

I really liked The Mummy as a child.

Mm.

So, I approached Mr. Arnold Vosloo, who played an important character in it.

He loved the script. So, he agreed immediately.

So, in the entire movie, was there any part or scene that was difficult to shoot?

Or something that made you feel a little uncertain during execution,

wondering whether it would turn out as envisioned?

Those fears are always there.

Mm.

Definitely.

They're there for each and every scene.

They are.

Mm.

Like, whether this will turn out as envisioned or not.

But at the same time, if it turns out even better than you imagined—

What's that happiness even like?

That’s a different thing altogether.

If, in a single take, it comes out exactly as intended,

it feels so good. You can’t describe it. It’s an experience. You have to feel it.

Mm.

Ultimately, that’s what cinema is— achieving it brick by brick.

We keep working toward it. So when it happens, it’s difficult in many scenes. In many

scenes, we worked really hard.