Directors Hari Shankar and Harish Narayan open up about Samantha Ruth Prabhu-starrer ‘Yashoda’, which they say is more surprising than a surrogacy racket
Directors Hari Shankar and Harish Narayan open up about Samantha Ruth Prabhu-starrer ‘Yashoda’, which they say is more surprising than a surrogacy racket
A few years back, Hari Shankar and Harish Narayan were the writer-directors of the Samantha-starrer Yashoda, never thought they would make a full-fledged Telugu film. This Chennai couple who directed Tamil films or eravu, Ambuli, Aahu And jambulingamIndie was keen to move away from the 3D and horror realms he had previously explored and wanted to make a mainstream film.
starting point for Yashoda There was a news report about an international surrogacy racket. “We wrote the story and screenplay with Samantha Ruth Prabhu in mind because we wanted a strong female protagonist,” he explains, Hindu In between giving the finishing touches to the post-production work at Annapurna Studio, Hyderabad. His friend and executive producer Raja Senthil, who was among the first to read the script, put him in touch with producer Shivalenka Krishna Prasad and convinced both that it would make a Telugu film.
Director Hari Shankar and Harish Narayan made their Telugu debut with ‘Yashoda’. photo credit: special arrangement
As for the release date, November 11, Hari and Harish commented that they had been fortunate to work with a crew that knew both Telugu and Tamil and made them feel at home in Hyderabad. “In the process, we learned Telugu. Everything went well once Samantha heard the story and agreed to become Yashoda without any hesitation. He told us, ‘I got goosebumps after hearing the story; I want the audience to feel similar emotions while watching the film.” Yashoda It will also release in Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi.
Directors say that the emotional core Yashoda Handled like an Indian film, the action portion plays out like an international film, mixed with the help of editor Marthand Venkatesh. “We revealed the surrogacy aspect in the trailer as it is an important part of the story; But there is more that the audience will come to know. The narrative about the racket is fictional and dramatic but inspired by true events. ,
Hari and Harish sought the help of journalist-writers Pulgam Chinnarayana and Challa Bhagyalakshmi for the Telugu dialogues. “He has done a wonderful job; Since he is a journalist, he tweaked a few lines and put them into words to make a better connection with the audience,” says Harish. Hari said, “We were particular that a female dialogue writer has to be roped in for this film.”
A view of the luxury hospital built for Yashoda. photo credit: special arrangement
Part of the emotional thriller drama takes place in a fictional luxury hospital facility named Eva. The directors searched five-star hotels in Hyderabad to find a suitable location, but ended up with a dead end. He then sought the help of art director Ashok Kumar for the construction of a luxurious hospital at Ramanaidu Studio, Nanakramguda, Hyderabad. Hari describes the surroundings as “a pleasant place in which the characters discover something mysterious.” The set was designed in pleasing colours, which will be paired with a women and childcare center with inputs from cinematographer M Sukumar. “We also made a corporate video for the fictional hospital,” laughs Harish. He recalls, “The day Samantha stepped onto the set, she commented that the set is the hero; It becomes a character in the story.”
Yashoda It also stars Varalakshmi Sarathkumar, Divya Sripada, Priyanka Sharma, Unni Mukundan and Kalpana Ganesh.
An important aspect of the film is its stunt choreography by Yanik Ben and Venkat, and the directors say the stunts were designed with the perspective of how much a pregnant woman can do. “Yashoda takes on men, women and animals in action sequences. But it all had to be logically acceptable. We all know women who take public transport or go to work till the seventh or eighth month. All these things were kept in mind while designing the stunts.”
More than panic, Hari and Harish express their eagerness to watch the film in different languages. It’s been a long journey for them Yashoda,
Samantha on the sets of ‘Yashoda’ photo credit: special arrangement
Harish worked in the IT sector before making short films and corporate videos and establishing his foothold in cinema. At the time of meeting Harish, Hari was independent as an assistant director and editor. They discovered their common passion for cinema and decided to collaborate. “There are many similarities in our understanding of cinema. There are days when we argue a lot,” says Hari.
In his early years in Chennai, Harish used to travel by train and read kathas or see people from different walks of life. Hari is an avid watcher who watches international movies. “Our contrasting nature also helps in cooperation,” says Harish.
looking forward to seeing how Yashoda Hari says, “We’ve tried to tell a solid story within about 2 hours 15 minutes.” Harish says, “It feels like we are pregnant with the film and can’t wait to watch it with the audiences.”