Ahead of the theatrical release of 'Skylab' on December 4, actress Nithya Menen talks about the movie, which she has also co-produced. She also talks about her collaboration with Pawan Kalyan on 'Bheemla Nayak'. Nithya has a slew of releases lined up in multiple languages in the coming months.
Since I am one of the producers of the movie, the post-production phase has been challenging. I was merely an artist till recently and I was not interested in money-related matters. It was not challenging to do acting, but the production part has been challenging.
I am 100% confident about the content of 'Skylab'. This film can't go down. This has been my conviction right from the first day. Despite 'Akhanda', we have found a sufficient number of theatres and are happy with the timing of the release. We rejected OTT offers because this is meant to be a theatrical release. Money is not the criterion for us.
Director Vishvak Khanderao has narrated the story in a paradoxical style. The backdrop is a Telangana village, while the staging is stylish. The BGM apes the Western classical music.
Satyadev Kancharana and Rahul Ramakrishna are part of one track. I am Gowri, a journalist, who has a separate track. I have no scenes with them at all.
The film has got an exciting premise. That's what made me go for it. I believed in the subject totally. Speaking in the Telangana accent was a great experience. I did it spontaneously and we had no changes to the output brought through the sync method.
'Ala Modalaindi' was a sleeper hit. I think 'Skylab' will become the same. It will definitely attract the audience to theatres despite the pandemic.
I want to do meaningful, content-driven movies on small budgets as a producer. You should make efficient movies with your money. I am now contemplating how to spend money on films.
After I decided to become a producer, I met with LV Ramesh Prasad garu, whom I respect a lot. I also met with CV Reddy garu, who is a father-like figure for me. I spoke with them about my plans to become a producer. They asked me to be careful.
Since I am doing films in a lot of languages, there has been a gap in Telugu. Actors are not factories that can produce movies like machines. A true actor/filmmaker doesn't manufacture films. It's a creative process. As an actor, I need breathing space. I never knew that I would become an actor. Before I knew, I worked continuously for six years. I was exhausted. I was not that happy. So, I paused and reflected. It was a rejuvenation for me during the lockdown. The whole world was doing nothing during the lockdown. Many people started saying that I had stopped movies (laughs). I like to be idle and reflect thoughtfully.
I am working with Pawan Kalyan garu on 'Bheemla Nayak'. He expressed surprise when I told him about my becoming a producer.
