Actor Nani on what he did in the Bengali part of ‘Shyam Singha Roy’ and how the film marks a new phase in his career
telugu movie Shyam Singha Roy (SSR) The film directed by Rahul Sankrityan opened in theaters to a warm welcome last week. Its lead actor Nani has got relief. His last two films, v And Tuck Jagdish, There were direct digital releases during the pandemic. “I have always been in favor of watching movies in theaters and I am glad that SSRA film made for theatrical viewing is appreciated,” says Nani, taking time out for this interview in the midst of dubbing for his next film East Sundaraniki, Directed by Vivek Atreya.
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Edited excerpt from the interview:
You watched the movie at the theater with your family, and your wife Anjana and sister Deepti, who are not usually outspoken, took to social media to praise your work. Are they your open critics?
last time he praised me jersey, Their expectations are high. Akka (Deepti) clearly tells me if my films don’t work for her. Anjana tries to be diplomatic and says this is not her cup of tea, but could work for others, and I get the drift.
Did you consider releasing the film in Bengali, given that a substantial portion of the story takes place in Bengal?
We considered dubbing it in Bengali, but we didn’t have time to do it. However, we held a few shows there.
Parts of Bengal are being widely appreciated. Can you tell us about the work that went into getting the dialogues and the atmosphere right?
I took the help of a Bengali, Abrujit, to learn the pronunciation. When I spoke, one line would sound different and someone who knows Bengali would say it. I used to record Abrujit’s rendition and listen to it over and over again to learn the sound. Bengalis move their tongues in a different way. After each shot, I used to check with members of the Bengali crew whether I sounded correctly. Language and regional barriers have blurred and we cannot slip. When the story was built around a character portrayed as a revolutionary Bengali writer, we didn’t want to end up as a joke.
Did you have Bengali members in your various departments?
We had Bengali speaking people in Disha and the production team to ensure fairness. We shot for two months in Kolkata and some villages and were careful with the detailing. This film will grow on everyone who watches it. Mani Ratnam’s films and AR Rahman’s music have a tendency to grow on us with time… I would like to believe it SSR Will offer something new to the repeat audience.
Actors often say that looking perfect is half the job. do you agree?
Absolutely. If you ask me to recite a dialogue like Shyam now, I might not be able to do it. On the sets, dressed as Shyam, I can walk and speak like him, forgetting that I am a Nani. Rahul shared clips from Bengali and Hindi films and we worked to get that Bengali atmosphere.
How did you come to Shyam’s mind?
This happened with the script. When I was shooting for Vasu’s character, I was already looking forward to play Shyam. We started by filming the montage sequence for the song ‘Rise of Shyam’. The way Shyam uses his left hand, sits and walks… all this helped me get into the character.
Vasu is not a regular Nani but a new age filmmaker, isn’t he?
Yes he is. I was an assistant director (AD) early in my career and can relate to how Vasu sheds tears when people come out of the movie theater and appreciate his film. when i was an AD Radha GopalamI remember Gokul standing outside the theater and waiting for people’s reactions. Vasu is undoubtedly a modern filmmaker and cooler. The way Rahul writes Vasu’s character and how he treats his friends and Kirti (Kriti Shetty) helps.
Talking of a contemporary youngster, Vasu does not think of anything after having a fight with Keerti; He proceeds to work on his film.
True, he does not take the next bus or train to Mumbai to win her over again. He knows that his career is important and moves on with it, although he still longs for her.
There was resentment that you look alike in most movies. With SSR, has he changed?
This is going to be an ongoing battle. I can’t choose films to look different. If I like a story/script and it allows me to stand out, then yes. In pre cosmetologyYou will see me as a brahmin boy. For DussehraI would grow my hair and beard to look rugged. After that, if any other movie requires me to look like in real life, so be it. Plus, because of the natural process of aging, it’s easy to look different when you do one movie a year. I do three films a year, so it is not always possible to experiment with looks.
does SSR Looking at the line-up of films that mark the beginning of a new phase in your career?
This is an updated version of me, clearer than ever about the movies I want to do. I am more mature and I think my next few films will surprise people.
Many viewers have expressed that Shyam and Rosie (Sai Pallavi) deserve a film of their own…
That’s a good thing, it shows that we did it right. I remember asking Rajamouli garu During ega Why was my character killed in just half an hour? He told me that the character should be so influential that people want to see more of me than to wait to see me die.
has a certain predictability in the later stages of SSR, Did you discuss this while making the film?
We knew we were not creating something new with unexpected twists and turns. We wanted to present a reincarnation story that is beautiful and emotional. People who are emotionally attached to the film are flooding my inbox with warm messages. There are also people who seek something new and are not very happy. It doesn’t matter if a film is not unanimously appreciated. I take it as a compliment that people expect more from my films.
Do you . Were you conscious of the tangent similarity between the final scenes of? SSR And Veer ZaaraAlthough the two stories are quite different?
On the day of filming the climax, I kept thinking Veer Zaara, In fact, that’s the feeling I wanted to achieve. We wanted a poetic climax to show a strange, awkward bond between the two characters. I was in tears after filming it, and so did Madonna Sebastian and the others who were watching it.
What are your immediate plans?
We are planning to release the first look of pre cosmetology soon; This movie will be a roller coaster fun ride. two productions Beat 2 more meet cute – continues. I am working continuously and would like to take a month off.
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