Director Trinadha Rao Nakkina awaits the theatrical release of 'Dhamaka' on December 23.
In this interview, the 'Nenu Local' fame director talks about the film, working experience with Mass Maharaja Ravi Teja, Sreeleela's character, what to expect from the movie, and more.
It's the dream of filmmakers to work with a hero like Ravi Teja. 'Dhamaka' is a pakka commercial film with the Mass Maharaja mark. His vision and my taste align. I would never intend to make an experimental film with someone like him. People like to watch him in out-and-out entertainers. That's what 'Dhamaka' is.
My previous movies like 'Cinema Choopistha Mama' and 'Nenu Local' were energetic. The energy on screen is what the audience are curious to watch in 'Dhamaka'. The very title denotes the nature of the film. Both families and youths will enjoy watching it. The entertainment quotient is higher in 'Dhamaka' compared to my previous outings.
The film hinges heavily on the characterizations of the two Ravi Teja characters. With a hero like him, an out-and-out romantic comedy can't be made. That won't satisfy his fans. A mass masala element has to be there. In 'Dhamaka', there are beautiful family emotions spun around action scenes. This is a mass film sans excessive bloodshed. The action is not over-the-top.
Sreeleela is not a newcomer anymore. She is a busy actress who has been doing multiple films. She is a super-talented dancer. Netizens have been highlighting the age gap between the lead pair. Ravi Teja is a hero we have been seeing for a long time. Sreeleela is into MBBS. That's why the psychological aspect is playing on some minds. Once the audience watch the movie, they will not be conscious of their age gap. The dances by the hero and heroine are equally energetic.
('Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo' and 'Bhaagamathie' fame) Jayaram has got a negative character. Rao Ramesh will remind us of the likes of Rao Gopal Rao. Hyper Aadhi and Ali will be seen in his track.
Coming to music, each and every song from 'Dhamaka' is a hit. Credit goes to the composer Bheems. The cinematography is amazing, thanks to Karthik Ghattamaneni; his output is entirely different compared with that in 'Karthikeya 2'.
Prasanna Kumar Bezawada has penned the story, screenplay, and dialogues. The lines are amazing, suiting Ravi Teja's image perfectly. The dialogues hit like a bullet.
The 'Rowdy Alludu' callback is conscious. I have been asked whether that film is the inspiration behind 'Dhamaka'. I would say that 'Dhamaka' is like a hat-tip to 'Rowdy Alludu'.
Ravi Teja says in the film that he has no background. It's not a dig at star kids. It's just an inspirational line. There is nothing more to it.
I started out as a writer. I stopped writing because the proportion of filmmakers who borrow stories from others has come down in Telugu cinema. I decided to work on some other writer's stories. 'Dhamaka' is completely written by Prasanna.
Emotions are the same everywhere. Even in 'Avatar 2', there are emotions. Take the example of 'Kantara'. The entire country liked it. The phenomenon of pan-India cinema has to be seen in this context. You don't write a script for the pan-India audience consciously. The punchlines in Telugu movies are the best in the country. The punches are advanced here. Other language audiences enjoy even simple punches. The importance of Tollywood across the country owes to our high-end creativity.
People Media Factory has produced 'Dhamaka'. The producers (TG Vishwa Prasad and Vivek Kuchibotla) are very comfortable to work with. They never say no to the director's views. They are extraordinary producers who are handling multiple projects these days. They are passionate and are determined to churn out one film after another.
I am committed to doing films for Mythri Movie Makers, Dil Raju (in collaboration with another producer), and with Koneru Satyanarayana.
