Director Shankar is one of the top three directors in Indian cinema and audiences eagerly await the release of his films. Most of his stories are inspired by the society we live in and have a social message. His upcoming film 2.0 is about technology versus birds, but Shankar is careful not to divulge too much as he would like to keep up the suspense.
A lot rides on 2.0, which has been made completely using 3D technology, for the first time in India. “Now, everything has become digital. It is very advanced and a bit easy. Earlier, only one Telugu film, Chinnari Chethana, was made some years back in 3D. But at that time, they used film, which is very complicated,” says Shankar,” adding, “2.0 has an emotional, soulful story. People thought that it would be an action film, given the technology used, but it is a thriller with a lot of emotions.”
The director knew from the start that he wanted to tell this story using 3D technology, fully aware that his budget would skyrocket. “One day, I saw a visual in my mind of a bunch of cell phones walking on the road in a row. I found it interesting and intriguing, and that’s how 2.0 started,” he reveals.
The director says that he never planned on making films with a social message. But he however, acknowledges that films do have an impact on society. “After Aparichithudu, many people called me to say that they didn’t break traffic rules, which made me happy,” he says.
And who is his best critic? “I am the best critic of all my films. After thinking of a scene, I think of myself as the audience. And if I don’t like it, then I change it. I think both as a director and as the audience,” he says.
Though driven by films, Shankar refuses to bring his work home. “When I go home, I try to forget about my work. I spend at least one hour of quality time with my family, which gives me happiness and relief,” he says.
He adds that his kids are curious about his films. “They will ask me about my story, but I don’t reveal anything. Then they try to listen to my phone conversations and also check my phone messages. Sometimes they see pictures of my film and they come up with a story after gathering all the information,” says an amused Shankar.
Shankar’s elder daughter has completed studying medicine and his younger daughter is currently studying the same, while his son is still in class 10. The director reveals that it takes him a year and a half to complete a film. “But unfortunately that this film was delayed because of technical problems,” says Shankar, who will be working on another sequel with his upcoming project Bharatheeyudu 2.
