There are many biopics lined up in Tollywood currently, and interestingly, most of them are on sportspersons and film personalities. Right now, the two upcoming films that everyone is talking about are on N.T. Rama Rao and Savitri, both legendary actors who had highs and lows in their lives. The other films are on badminton players Pullela Gopichand, Saina Nehwal and P.V. Sindhu, and weightlifter Karnam Malleswari.
However, though all these films have been announced, only three are at the production stage — one, Nag Ashwin’s directorial Mahanati, based on actress Savitri’s life, the other, NTR, directed by Teja and the biopic on Saina Nehwal.
“My first thought when I do a biopic is whether it’s useful or not and then I look at all the other aspects. Some find it useful, some learn about history, some feel inspired, while others may feel that there was injustice done. We can’t make it like a regular commercial film,” says Nag Ashwin, the director of Mahanati.
He adds that any film is a story of a person and the incidents in their life. “Savitri is a larger-than-life personality, so her story connects with more people,” says the director about his biopic. “However, as a filmmaker, whether it’s a biopic or an action film, my first responsibility is towards my producer. At the end of the day, it’s a new genre and a commercial film that has to get profits too,” he states.
“Biopics aren’t easy. They should be made interestingly with commercial viability, otherwise it could end up like a documentary. For instance, people know many things about NTR, the legendary actor-turned-politician, but there are also some interesting points about his life, like his life before his film career,” says producer T. Prasanna Kumar, who knows the Nandamuri family well. He adds that there were many highs and lows in NTR’s life.
Interestingly, NTR’s first wife Basavatharakam was his uncle’s daughter. “NTR and his wife knew each other before their marriage,” says Prasanna. NTR’s biopic will showcase not just his life, but also the lives of many others involved in his journey. NTR was known for his portrayal of devotional characters like Rama, Krishna and others, and his son Nandamuri Balakrishna will play the legendary actor in this biopic, which may not touch the controversial episode of Lakshmi Parvathi or Chandrababu Naidu that had set off a political turmoil at that time.
Sanjana Reddy, who is writing a script on Karnam Malleswari’s life, says, “She struggled to reach here. Her career also had a few controversies. I personally feel that a biopic should be an inspiration to others and one should learn what not to do in life. If you look at Karnam Malleswari’s story, there’s great struggle. Her father wanted her elder sister to become a sportswoman, but a dramatic incident turned Malleswari into a weight-lifter. She is ferocious and has had an interesting life,” she adds.
“When we make a person’s biopic, he/she should have some dramatic incidents in life. In NTR’s journey from a young boy to becoming a towering personality, there are many interesting episodes. The script has come out very well and we are going to narrate it in a dramatic way, otherwise it will become a documentary,” says director Teja, adding that he can’t speak about the subject as it is now under production. “I am presently searching for artistes to feature in this biopic,” shares the director.
