It’s been six years since filmmaker Sudheer Varma made his debut in the industry with Swamy Ra Ra, and it’s been a fulfilling journey. “I have made five films so far, and I’m pleased with the way my career has been progressing. I have evolved as a filmmaker even as I continue to learn with every film,” shares Sudheer. His latest film, Ranarangam, which releases this week on Independence Day, is a gangster-based film set in the ’90s. “The film is set around the time when there was liquor prohibition in the Andhra Pradesh state, and its story revolves around how the protagonist (played by Sharwanand) rises to the occasion. The film is based on a screenplay and assures the audience all the thrills,” he adds while admitting to his fascination for the thriller genre. So was this gangster movie inspired from God Father, we wonder. “While God Father may be the inspiration for all gangster films, every filmmaker has his own plotline,” says Sudheer matter-of-factly. Admitting that he’s done a lot of research to match the era in the movie, Sudheer reveals that the Sharwanand-starrer Ranarangam’s plotline was originally pitched to Ravi Teja. “But later, when I also shared the idea with Sharwa, he was keen to do it. So I informed Ravi Teja about it, and he was more than gracious about it,” adds Sudheer. Meanwhile, we can’t help but notice that the film’s publicity was more focused on the Kalyani Priyadarshan and less on a star like Kajal Aggarwal.
“That’s because Kajal plays a meatier role in the film. I didn’t want to disappoint audiences by making them think that Kajal will be seen throughout the film,” says the filmmaker.
