Pawan Kalyan sir hugged me on the last of shoot: Sriram Venu

The first time Sriram Venu got the opportunity to work with Pawan Kalyan was on a soft drink commercial two decades back. “I was an assistant director for that commercial; it was the first time I saw Kalyan garu,” says Sriram, who has now directed the actor in Vakeel Saab.

“I reminded him of that occasion when I met him before commencing the shooting, and he smiled,” the director recalls. He found working with Pawan Kalyan an enriching experience.

According to the director, what makes Pawan a superstar is his ability to come down to the required level and communicate. “Perhaps the fact that he has seen it all makes him understand what exactly I need as a director and work accordingly,” he says.

Referring to an occasion when he wanted a retake on a particular scene, but was hesitant about telling the actor that, Sriram said with a laugh that Pawan “read my expression and said ‘Let’s go for one more take’. He made life easy for me on the sets several times.”

Commenting on Pawan’s work-life balance, the director said working on films on one hand and honouring political commitments on the other takes a lot. Working with him reminds us that the drive to excel should not be ignored.”

Recalling a memorable moment on the sets, he says, “I shot with him for around 42 days, but on the last day when he expressed his happiness over shooting for the film, and appreciated my work, I was literally in tears.”

Sriram says the script of Vakeel Saab, which is hitting the marquee on April 9, has been tweaked to suit Telugu sentiments.