Ahead of the mega-starrer Bholaa Shankar’s release, producer Anil Sunkara speaks to the Hyderabadi media, sharing some insights about working with Chiranjeevi, getting Keerthy Suresh onboard, and more.
K. Ramya Sree
Just one day left for the release of Megastar Chiranjeevi’s most-awaited mega mass-action entertainer, Bholaa Shankar, starring Tamannaah Bhatia, Keerthy Suresh, and Sushant in key roles apart from the megastar. The movie, directed by Meher Ramesh, will release in theaters tomorrow (August 11).
We know that you can’t wait for the film to hit theaters, and today we have producer Anil Sunkara sharing some insights about the film. For producer Anil Sunkara, doing a film with Chiranjeevi is a dream come true. “I met Chiranjeevi during ‘Sarileru Neekevvaru’ success event. Then I jokingly said, “I have wanted to meet you for a long time, and I have finally met you.” Then he said only one word: “Why just meet; let’s do a film together”. At that point of time, I had the rights of Vedalam, and I met Chiranjeevi later, and the journey of this film began.”
While he is a big admirer of Chiranjeevi, everyone during the press meet in the city wondered why the producer chose a remake instead of an original script, and to this he said, “I like the subject of Bholaa Shankar very much. It was from this subject that we got Chiranjeevi’s dates. This subject was told to Chiranjeevi two years ago, and he liked it very much. It is because of COVID and the megastar’s other films that it got delayed.”
The film’s budget is almost 40 percent higher than expected, and the reason for this, he shared, is that, “It’s not just me, the budgets of all movies are increasing. I have a complete understanding of the film and I know what is happening where. I try to reduce if anything is extra. But it is not as easy as we think.”
“Chiranjeevi cares more about the producers. He says to control it, he gets very involved and sees how to reduce it,” he added.
While Chiranjeevi is one of the biggest attractions of the movie, Keerthy Suresh is another. To narrate the story, both Meher and Anil met Keerthy. Sharing an anecdote from the meeting, Anil shared, “We had already decided to have Keerthy Suresh in the role of Chiranjeevi’s sister. Meher Ramesh and I went to Keerthy Suresh’ house in Chennai and finalized it. This is the first time in my career that I have approached someone and taken the dates. Because she is so important to this character. After I watched the movie, the bonding between Chiranjeevi and Keerthy Suresh was unforgettable in life. I can’t imagine anyone else in that role except for Keerthy.”
Reminiscing about the memories he spent with Chiranjeevi on the sets of Bholaa Shankar, he shared, “I am with Chiranjeevi for about 40 days out of 120 working days. It was a very memorable journey. I learned something new every day. Not a single day was wasted. I enjoyed it a lot.”
