FIR filmmaker Manu Anand: Vishnu Vishal is a director's actor

Vishnu Vishal's action thriller FIR, presented by actor Ravi Teja, is having a grand release simultaneously across Telugu and Tamil languages on February 11. Produced by the lead actor himself under Vishnu Vishal Studioz, the film directed by Manu Anand is being distributed by Abhishek Nama (of Abishek Pictures) in the Telugu version. Ahead of the film's release, the director had a tete-a-tete with Telugu media at Hyderabad earlier this week.

"The film is an action thriller about how an innocent Muslim man is framed as a terrorist. I thought of Vishnu Vishal for FIR after watching Ratsasan. He'll get to play a role of two different shades in FIR. I had initially narrated a story about drug mafia to him but he felt it wouldn't be finanicially viable. Then, I narrated this story to him," the former associate of noted director Gautham Vasudev Menon shared.

Talking of his early years in the industry, Manu Anand added that it was quite difficult for him to land an opportunity as an assistant director sans any connections. "I had earlier worked for a multinational company in Australia and returned to India in 2022. I started seeking opportunities in Chennai. Many called me foolish back then. I had my share of struggles but finally fulfilled my dream of becoming a director today. FIR doesn't sensationalise any religious aspects and is an out-and-out thriller with a Muslim protagonist at the forefront with ample drama," he said.

FIR wasn't made to please any particular sect in the society and is only intented to entertain, thrill audiences, Manu Anand assures. "I'm only trying to tell through the film that we live in a secular country. I'm confident that FIR will impress crowds of all age groups. Vishnu Vishal is a director's actor and would go to any length to enhance the impact of a scene. As a producer too, he was quite comfortable to work with."

The film goes beyond a hero, heroine, villain formula and is solely plot, character-driven, the director states. "All the three female leads in FIR are crucial to the story. The film will have many interesting twists and turns. It's important for the audiences to invest in the characters forgetting an actor's image, a reason for which we didn't chase stars or big names," he mentions. 

Manu Anand, who claims to be a fan of Pawan Kalyan and director Koratala Siva, isn't perturbed that FIR would clash with Ravi Teja's Khiladi at the theatres and is confident that both films have a target audience.