Director Sampath Nandi was in the news sometime back because he was supposed to direct Gabbar Singh 2 with Pawan Kalyan. But though he waited for long for the project to start, it never happened and he decided to come out of the film.
“We decided to part ways in a good manner. Even now, I am preparing a script for Pawan Kalyan and I am in touch with him constantly,” says Sampath.
The director is now ready with Bengal Tiger that stars Ravi Teja in the lead. The film is hitting the screens this Friday.
It’s been almost three years since Sampath’s last release, but the director is quite calm. “I am not nervous or scared. I am confident about the film. I learnt many good things when I spent time with Pawan Kalyan and after,” says the director.
About parting ways with Pawan Kalyan, he says, “I know how the industry reacts. When you are successful, many come close to you. And when you are not doing anything, those people distance themselves. I have seen this kind of ups and down from the beginning of my career,” says Sampath.
The director had worked as the dialogue writer for Toss, eight years back and Kannada superstar Upendra had liked his work and asked him to direct a film.
“I went to Bangalore with him and the film was almost 95 per cent complete. It was a Telugu and Kannada bilingual. But the film got shelved. I sat in a room with a TV and a fan for nearly two years in Bangalore. Everyone would leave and I would be the only person who sat in his office alone,” says Sampath nandi.
At that time he got married to his girlfriend. “My in-laws came to know that my film was not releasing and they worried a lot. I struggled a lot for nearly two years until my first film Yemaindi Ee Vela released,” he says. It was a small-budget film but a big hit. He got his big break with his second film , when he directed Ram Charan in Racha.
Talking about Bengal Tiger, Sampath says. “The subject is completely new and perfectly suits Ravi Teja’s body language.”
Tamannah and Raashi Khanna are the two leading ladies in the film. “In a particular scene Ravi Teja lifts both the actresses at the same time,” says Sampath, adding with a laugh, “I don’t think anyone can do this kind of a feat.”
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