PremiumDirector Praveen Sattaru: Most heroes wouldn’t do a film like Gandeevadhari Arjuna
The filmmaker shared his experiences working for the action thriller at its pre-release event
Last Updated: 10.22 AM, Aug 22, 2023
Praveen Sattaru, who’s made a mark as a versatile storyteller with several acclaimed films like LBW, Routine Love Story, Chandamama Kathalu and PSV Garudavega, is back with an action thriller Gandeevadhari Arjuna. Headlined by Varun Tej and Sakshi Vaidya, the film is releasing in theatres on August 25. At the pre-release event, the filmmaker spoke of his experiences working on the project.
High of an action film
Gandeevadhari Arjuna has been a great journey, he remarked. “I have tried to a wide variety of films across genres- be it Chandamama Kathalu, Guntur Talkies or PSV Garudavega.” While Chandamama Kathalu was an emotional ride close to his heart, he chose an action film Garudavega later for commercial reasons. “During Garudavega, I realised that the high of an action film is unmatched.”
Also read: Varun Tej: Gandeevadhari Arjuna is an action film that’ll make us look beyond our mundane lives
Before writing Gandeevadhari Arjuna, he thought of blending a story that has emotions and action in the right mix. The film is based on a real issue that we know but often ignore and we’ve tried to integrate it with the right emotions, action and tell it in an entertaining manner, he shared. “While writing it was convenient, there are only a few heroes who’ll believe in films like this.”
Trusting Varun Tej
The film is a plot-driven thriller and doesn’t revolve around the hero’s character alone, Praveen said. When he narrated this story to Varun Tej, the latter didn’t have any second thoughts about saying yes. “I really liked his decision to support films like Antariksham, Fidaa and Kanche, purely trusting the story. That’s the reason I approached him for the film in the first place.”
The director admitted he’s under pressure because his previous film The Ghost hasn’t succeeded and there’s a lot of pressure to make an entertaining film within a budget, make the producer, cast happy. “We finished the film in 54 days only because of our actors. Varun Tej suffered many injuries during shoot but never complained once. It has been a pleasure working with him,” he signed off.