Films over family

In an industry whose success ratio is abysmal, Bekkem Venugopal aka Gopi is a success story, for his seven films might not have been smash hits but were profitable ventures. He is presently looking forward to the release of Hebah Patel-starrer ‘Nanna Nenu Naa Boyfriends’, which he conceived along with writer Sai Krishna. “It is the story of a girl (Hebah) who accepts the love of three Hyderabad guys,” he says, “and the follow-up events are told in a comical and emotional way”. In a freewheeling conversation with Talkies, he recounts his journey.

The Padmalaya connection
Hailing from Achampet, Mahabubnagar, Gopi was drawn to films since childhood but had little idea on how to break into the industry. “When my aunt travelled to Hyderabad in 1986 to find work for her son at Padmalaya Studios in 86, I dropped by her to get a glimpse of my favourite hero Krishna. ’Simhasanam’ was being shot at the studio back then. I remember Mahesh Babu playing cricket too in the studio. I used to live at the hut adjacent to the studio along with my aunt and her son. I made it a point to visit Hyderabad every time during my summer vacations till my intermediate,” he flashbacks.

After intermediate, he decided to associate with the wonderland in some capacity. “I joined as a camera assistant for Anand Cine Services while pursuing an ITI course at Secunderabad. Around the same time, my father’s health took a beating, so I asked him to come and stay with me in Hyderabad. I’ve started a small mess and a paan store opposite Anand Cine Service (in 92) to meet daily needs.”

Friendship with Sivaji
In 95, he joined Gemini TV, which has just entered the Telugu satellite market. He was the second employee of the now hugely successful channel after its MD. “I got into TV production, where I’ve met actor Sivaji for the first time. We became thick friends in no time. I consider 95-98 as the golden phase of my career. I used to take interviews of celebrities with Sivaji as the anchor. And as soon as he got his first film ‘Shraddanjali’ as a lead actor, we both resigned from Gemini.”

After Sivaji found his foothold as an actor, Gopi assisted the actor’s producers on all fronts—from executing the project to interacting with distributors post release. “Sivaji used to trust my creative capabilities. After gaining seven years experience on the production front, I decided to produce a movie on the lines of Madhur Bhandarkar’s hard-hitting films. I’ve even conceived an idea, ‘Hyderabad Girls’ and wanted to shoot it in Rs 16 lakh but Sivaji opposed it before advising to make a commercial film with him. That’s how ‘Tata Birla Madhyalo Laila’ took form,” he informs.

A team player
Soon films like ‘Satyabhama’, ‘Maa Ayana Chanti Pilladu’, ‘Brahmalokam To Yamalokam Via Bhulokam’, ‘Mem Vayasuku Vacham’, ‘Prema Ishq Kadhal’ and ‘Cinema Choopista Maava’ followed. He credits his success to the teamwork. “I take observations from everyone and pick the best out of them and I believe in re-shooting. What’s the point of sending a film to the theatre when you don’t like it in the first place? I also believe in shooting within the budget come what may,” he points out, adding, “If I feel that a particular script can be shot in Rs 3.5 crore, I’ll tell my director that it requires only Rs 2.5 crore. That way I mentally prepare him to strategise shoot accordingly, fully aware that in the end it would cost me Rs 3.5 crore.”

Films first
He also feels that it’s his will to succeed constantly is what made him survive in the industry for this long. “For me making good films has always been a priority. Films have always taken precedence over family and money,” he declares, admitting that the hunger to strive for better films has also been his weakness. “I haven’t spent as much time with my family as I intended to but my wife Babita has been of great support. After Sivaji who I consider as my brother and who turned my career, her contribution to my success has been enormous,” he raves.