Director Shankar interview: On ‘Game Changer,’ Ram Charan’s explosive energy, and whether films can propagate a change
The HinduMost journalists patiently awaiting an interaction with filmmaker Shankar would have their minds set on how candidly or otherwise the filmmaker would address their questions. “As a story evolves, it might shape up to carry a few resemblances to real life, but we didn’t design the character based on a single person.” On making a straight Telugu film, Ram Charan’s explosive energy, and more Making a straight Telugu film has been a longtime wish for Shankar, who is grateful for the love the Telugu audiences have shown to the dubbed versions of his films. “In all my films, the story’s structure would inherently elevate the heroism; the script had it and when a star like Ram Charan comes in, it falls into place.” Charan, he adds, possesses what he calls a ‘suppressed explosive energy’ within. We spent a lot on other songs in the film” — like erecting a path walled by clay pots in ‘Azhagana Ratchasiye’, shooting the graphics-heavy ‘Mudhalvane’ in Delhi, or incorporating the five natural elements in ‘Kurukku Siruthavaley’ — “but when it comes to ‘Uppu Karuvaadu,’ the situation on paper seemed simpler: a Chief Minister, to avoid attracting crowds, disguises himself to spend some time with this girlfriend in that beautiful hamlet. I wanted his book to capture all the downfalls we undergo and how we overcome them, but unfortunately, that book hasn’t released yet.” On whether films can propagate a change Right from his debut film, 1993’s Gentleman, Shankar has channelled all that he witnessed in his early days into films, making politically-charged social commentary his chosen school of cinema.