Ram Pothineni is eagerly looking forward to the release of Nenu Sailaja, which will hit screens on New Year. The movie, which will see Keerthi Suresh as the female lead, will be a different outing for Ram, who has given a subtle performance in the film.
“I won’t be seen in my usual energetic role. Director Kishore wanted me less energetic and I left everything to him. Once the shoot began, I was in a big confusion whether I am doing it right or wrong. But at the end, I think, I have done something new; the unit members also felt the same. It’s going to be a game changer,” he says.
So, how come he chose this film? “All my roles were clichéd and I felt monotonous. I was looking for something new when this script came. Kishore, though a debutante, is basically a writer and he came up with the complete script. The dialogues connected us instantly; it was so natural, something very realistic. This is not a formula kind of film; everything goes with the story, even the songs,” says Ram.
Initially, the film was titled Hari Katha, but they it was changed, why? “The name of the protagonist is Hari and the story is his narration. But once we saw the film completely, we decided to go with Nenu Sailaja,” he says.
He is all praise for his co-star Keerthi. “We needed a good performer who looked like a Telugu girl. Keerthi was very realistic; she is a brilliant actress. She completely looks like a Telugu girl in the film,” Ram says.
Though Ram plays a DJ, the movie is not about him. “The story is that of a father and daughter; then the protagonist enters their life. It’s a completely family entertainer,” he says.
He also owned up the failure of Sivam, saying, “For all my films, whether it bombed or became hit, I am responsible because I signed those projects knowing what I am doing,” he says.
On the rumours that his uncle producer Sravanthi Ravi Kishore was involved too much in his project, he says, “We give full freedom to all the directors who work with us. Yes, we do give suggestions to some new directors, who have good scripts, but do not plan the shoot in a right manner. Before the scripting begins, I want to know about my role and how it was going to be shaped up. We don’t get involved beyond that,” he says, adding, “For this film, I just blindly followed Kishore as I trust him completely,” he says.
Ram said he hasn’t finalised his future projects though he is listening to scripts. He said he was in touch with directors like Srinu Vaitla but nothing hasbeen finalised yet.
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