Irrespective of the mixed reviews from the critics, Rangamarthanda has been much loved by the family audience. Following the release of the film, director Krishna Vamsi, interacted with the Hyderabadi media on what went on while making of the film.
Amartya Smaran
While Covid-19 shook up the world, it also gave us the space and time for about a little over two years to reflect upon ourselves. It was during the mostly mundane days of the Covid lockdown that popular director Krishna Vamsi took time for himself and started working on Rangamarthanda, the Telugu adaptation of Marathi film Natsamrat(2016). The film opened to mostly mixed reviews from critics on March 22, but as luck would have it, the family audience took a liking to the film.
The filmmaker is best known for Gulabi(1995), Ninne Pelladata(1996), Sindhooram(1997), Antahpuram(1998), Khadgam(2002), Rakhi(2006), and Chandamama(2007). His recent flicks like Govindudu Andarivadele(2014) and Nakshatram(2017) garnered varied reactions from the audience and critics alike. Finally, after six long years, the director is back with Rangamarthanda, starring Prakash Raj, Brahmanandam and Ramya Krishna in the lead roles.
“When I first watched the original, it moved me. I was shocked to see that the film could move someone who’s as stoic as me,” said the Chandamama director talking about his latest directorial. “I usually don’t prefer remaking films but now that Prakash Raj asked to watch the film, I watched it. Tears rolled down my cheeks when I first watched the film.
That was my reaction. I couldn’t figure out why I was crying in the first place. The last time I got so emotional was during the shoot of Antahpuram, where Prakash Raj slaps Soundarya in a scene. Then I understood, it was about family relationships. Relationships are no longer the same. People have become selfish and the bond we share with family is going for a toss. Family is a unit. If the families are intact, then the world will come in order. I loved that element and that’s how it came about and Prakash Raj said it’d be great if I could direct the project.”
Rangamarthada is centred around thespian Raghava Rao(Prakash Raj), who retires from stage life and decides to lead a peaceful life. However, the turbulence within his family intensifies after he writes his property in the name of his son Ranga Rao(Adarsh Balakrishna).
According to Krishna Vamsi, the actor’s part preceded the quintessential familial aspects in the original. Here, he says, he did quite the opposite while adapting the film in Telugu. “For me it was not about who I was directing. I really wanted to present this idea of people not paying attention to family relationships anymore.”
Now that we spoke to the director after the film’s release, we could sense that the legendary director regained his lost artistic confidence. Although critics have been complaining about certain portions of the film, the audience reacted well. And for a filmmaker who’s been giving his all to reinvent himself in one way or the other, the encouragement from the audience is all he needs.
“I don’t know if I changed as director, but the process did change me on a personal level to an extent,” mused the ace filmmaker pondering over how the film brought about a change in him. “As a director, we must keep learning. I always feel I could do a lot better. That’s by default. As a person, the process taught me how to be patient. Maybe because of my experience or age, I felt like maybe I should make this film. In this film, you will not find villains. It’s not about one person being moralistic over the other.
It’s about everyone having their flaws. If you take me, for example, my interaction with my mother is minimal. Ramya(his wife and popular actress) keeps scolding me, ‘At least tell her where you’re going!’(haha). These things have changed. I wouldn’t say completely, but to an extent they did.”
Whilst the director was speaking in awe of Brahmanandam’s performance in the film, The Pioneer asked him to describe that one incident where Prakash Raj prompted a line without moving lips while the legendary comedian was momentarily blank.
“Oh! This is the famous scene at Mahaprasthanam burial ground,” enthused Krishna Vamsi. “The sheer volume of dialogues he delivered in this film outbeats every other film that he had been a part of. He is someone who’s been making people laugh for over four decades and when he performs in front of the camera, soon after the first take, the entire crew cheers for him and laughs.For the first time in his life, Brahmanandam was scared that someone would laugh at him. Because if someone would laugh, that’d mean the performance isn’t working.”
He further continued: “He was worried that somebody would laugh given his image. In the midst of all these things, he missed out saying, ‘Neenu durmargudini ra’. I said cut and told him that it’s important to say that line out in the next take. And Prakash Raj looks at him in the suggestion. Just three or four seconds before the exact moment where Brahmanandam was supposed to say the line, he prompted the line without moving his lips and Brahmanandam was quick to catch up and finished the shot.”
With Rangamarthanda doing reasonably well, the director is hopeful that the positive word of mouth would pull in more audiences into the theatres. His next film is titled Annam and for the first time in many years he’s coming up with his original story. “I signed another two films and I will make the announcement soon,” wrapped the Rangamarthanda helmer.
