Bollywood has started respecting scripts and films from south: Nani

“I think I am late for the party. Ajith sir had played a grey character in Mankatha exceptionally well. There are a few other Tamil films that have had heroes in a grey shade and have done well at the box office. I am experimenting it for the first time,” he begins. The film is directed by Mohana Krishna Indraganti, who directed Nani’s debut film Ashta Chamma exactly 12 years ago.

“Though he has penned my character in a negative way, the audience will be cheering for him in every frame. It is not completely black or totally white. Grey is an interesting colour for a character graph. Again I will have to take Mankatha’s reference, which was one of Ajith sir’s best role till date. Similarly, V will be one such spoken-about film in my career,” he adds. Nani quickly adds that he will miss his fans cheering for him in the first show. “I will miss a theatrical release surely. I came to movies looking at the stardom given to actors by their fans. But here, the situation is quite abnormal and we have a product ready in hand. The audience need something to cheer for. Hence, we are releasing V and my upcoming films will have a theatrical release,” he assures.

Nani says that this film from Mohana Krishna is quite a ‘shocker’. “He is known for romantic and subtle filmmaking style with entertainers and comedies. I was excited even when he narrated me the story because the genre is unique and the script is organic. I have to be eerie, scared and at the same time likeable. It was a challenge and we took it up,” he laughs. Quite a few Nani’s films are being remade in Hindi including Jersey. There was a time when Hindi films were remade in south. Commenting on the reversal of trend, he says, “I feel proud. We have filmmakers like Mani Ratnam sir, Shankar and Rajamouli in the south, who are now being looked upon by filmmakers across India. If people from the north are asking for a remake, it means that they like the script. Bollywood has started respecting us, which is a great thing. Earlier, a person from the north wouldn’t know the difference between a Telugu and a Tamil film. Thanks to our directors, we have scored pretty well there. This is a game changer as well because content has taken over the industries. It is not about which industry we are from anymore. It is about which film it is,” he concludes. Director of the film Mohana Krishna Indraganti says, “One thing about Nani is he never hesitated to take risks — he did unusual films that probably went against convention, which I admired since the day he met me at my office. V is a mainstream entertainer which promises an edge-of-the seat experience.”