I will be back in form: Uday Shankar

Since Sunil comes from Bheemavaram, his inputs turned out to be of great importance. He is not an actor who visits the sets and gives his shots before departing. He is actively involved with the project and it somehow reduced my burden- Uday Shankar

Director Uday Shankar comes across as a simple human being who believes in giving everything to his work. Set to complete 15 years in filmdom shortly, the Pondicherry-born filmmaker, best known for helming Victory Venkatesh-starrer ‘Kalisundam Raa’, which stills runs to great TRP’s on TV, is extremely convinced about his next project, ‘Bheemavaram Bullodu’, starring Sunil in the lead. While many directors of the current lot tend to be protective about their film’s script, Shankar isn’t. “The story begins in Bheemavaram and takes form in Hyderabad. After discovering that he is diagnosed with brain tumour, Sunil is motivated by Tanikella Bharani to do ‘something great’ before he leaves the world in 10 days. He decides to dirt free the rowdy system in Hyderabad and manages to achieve it until he is informed that he is not detected with tumour. He, now, has to face the rowdies who are ready to pounce back on him,” smiles the director in a chat-a-thon with Hans Talkies.

It looks like an action film all the way? “No, it isn’t,” he shots back. “From the first reel to the last reel, it is laced with comedy. Even the action blocks are designed in a way that they the tickle the funny bone of the audience. Sunil is portrayed as an innocent guy Rambabu yet audiences can see the hilarious side of him.”

The director had prepared the script, written by his buddy Kavi Kalidas, with Venkatesh in mind but the senior actor had to pull out after liking the script. “Since it required him doing heavy action, he had to let go the film. The other option that I had was Sunil. His well-toned body certainly helped. He connected with the script at the first go,” informs Shankar, adding, “Since he comes from Bheemavaram, his inputs turned out to be of great importance. He is not an actor who visits the sets and gives his shots before departing. He is actively involved with the project and it somehow reduced my burden.”

Speaking about his lead actress Esther, he says she is a “good performer.” “She emotes well and matched steps with Sunil. A daughter of an eminent film director, she plays Sunil’s love interest, caught in his brawl with the goons.” With his earlier films – ‘Raraju’ and ‘Baladur’-- doing ‘no’ good to his reputation, he says his new film will end his poor streak. “I will be back in form. my earlier films, I’m confident about ‘Bheemavaram Bullodu’ as I’ve had the right team, be it the lead actor, writer or the cinematographer, working in tandem,” he signs off before hinting that Akshay Kumar is the perfect replacement if ever his producer Suresh Babu plans to remake the film in Hindi.