Director Vijay Kanakamedala opens up about the making of his latest film ‘Bhairavam’, a Telugu remake of Tamil hit ‘Garudan’. He discusses why he took up the project, managing three lead actors, the production challenges, and how he has tailored the film to appeal to Telugu audiences while staying true to its emotional core
Suresh Kavirayani
Director Vijay Kanakamedala is now coming up with a film titled Bhairavam. This is a remake of the Tamil hit Garudan, and three stars—Bellamkonda Sai Srinivas, Manchu Manoj, and Nara Rohit—are playing the lead roles. The film was supposed to be released a long time ago, but it is finally releasing on May 30.
“Actually, we wanted to release it in December, but couldn’t get that date. Again in January, there were big films releasing at that time, so finally, we are coming on May 30,” said director Vijay.
Nara Rohit’s father passed away and the makers wanted to shoot the film at a temple in Mysore, but due to rain, it wasn’t possible. “We had to cancel the shoot at the last minute because of heavy floods in Mysore at that time. So, we erected a temple set at the Aluminium Factory and completed the shoot,” said the director.
The director mentioned that he had watched the film before the Tamil version was released. “The producer asked me to see the film and wanted me to do the remake. Bellamkonda Sai confirmed first, and then we approached Manoj and Nara Rohit,” said the director.
Before taking up the remake, Vijay said he always discusses with his team whether he can proceed or not. “Compared to my earlier two films, this film’s span is very big—budget-wise and also because three actors are playing leads. Handling three actors on the sets in a multi-starrer like this can prove myself as a director, so I decided to do it,” he said.
When asked about remakes, he said they are very difficult to do. “Because someone else has written the story and we have to carry the same emotion in our own way, which is very difficult. If I go with my own story, I know where the emotion is strong and how to handle it. So, a straight film is also easier to make,” he explained.
He added that the three actors were very friendly on the sets. “Manoj is a fun person and whenever he is on the sets, it’s a complete joy. Though he talks differently outside because of some personal issue, on the sets he is a cool person. More than that, all three actors are known to me very well, so it was easy for me to direct them,” said Vijay.
The director said that he did not spoil the original emotion of the film. “But I made changes to suit the Telugu audience, like adding a few commercial elements. When you watch my film, you will definitely appreciate that it is better than the original,” said Vijay.
Some may doubt whether audiences will come to theatres, as the original film is already available on OTT. To this, he replied, “Whether it’s a remake or a free-make, if the content is good, if there’s something new, and the actors perform well, the audience will definitely come to theatres to watch it.”
After a long time, both Manoj and Rohit are appearing on the big screen, but the director is confident. “Both are good actors. So, I am confident that the audience definitely wants to see their performances,” he said.
One of the most challenging parts while shooting the film was an episode shot day and night. “We shot one of the scenes in a 14-day night shoot. Nearly 800 to 900 people were on the sets, and this particular scene was a big challenge for me because I had to handle a big crowd along with the three actors,” said Vijay.
The director emphasized that all three lead roles get equal importance in the film. “It’s not that one character is highlighted and the others are low. When you give importance to all three actors, only then does the film come out nicely,” he said.
Speaking about casting Aditi Shankar as one of the female leads, Vijay supported his decision. “I saw her film where she acted with Karthi, and I thought she would be perfect for my film. She did a good job, along with the two other female leads,” said the director.
The title Bhairavam has a devotional touch. “For every temple, there is a guardian deity. In this film, Kala Bhairava is the guardian (kshetrapalaka) of a village temple, so the title is Bhairavam,” explained the director. The story revolves around three friends and their families.
Talking about his upcoming projects, he said nothing has been finalized yet. “But I have stories ready for Chiranjeevi garu and Balakrishna garu. I met Chiranjeevi once and he said he will give time for me to narrate the story. Right now, I am concentrating on this film’s release,” said the director.
