It has been a topsy-turvy journey for Prerna Arora. After beginning her career as an assistant director, Prerna Arora tasted success with her maiden production venture, Rustom, and followed it up with Toilet: Ek Prem Katha and Pad Man, before finding herself mired in a few commercial failures and a legal controversy with a prominent producer. With Jatadhara, a supernatural thriller bankrolled under her new production house, Ess Kay Gee Entertainment, Prerna Arora hopes to break into South Indian cinema, an industry she has admired since her early years.
In an exclusive conversation with CE, the Jatadhara producer talks about her latest production that stars Sudheer Babu and Sonakshi Sinha in the lead, the current state of theatrical business, why she thinks mythological films are working, and more.
Excerpts:
Jatadhara is more about black magic and greed. It’s a simple movie with high sentimental value. There is a touch of devotion involving Lord Shiva and how we connect with his prayers, but it’s more of a supernatural horror.
There are many mythological films being made now. It started with HanuMan, and now it’s happening in all languages. I think the atmosphere of devotion is because of how bad these times are. Something has changed in this world; there is a big shift in the general mindset.
We are positioning Jatadhara as a Telugu-Hindi bilingual. In a post-COVID scenario, I was clueless about what kind of films to make, and it took some time to figure out. Half the producers moved to OTT, but I had no interest in making OTT films. Also, when times change, it’s important to move on with them.
I did have an interest in South Indian films, though. I would watch many Telugu films on YouTube and loved how they had many elements at once, like comedy, romance, and action. They are very emotional and rooted.
There are cliche films being made now. More importantly, people are chasing projects. They lock the casting first and build a story around it. There is a lot of calculation, and many producers are making films or series for their own motives. They make projects just to fill their own pockets. It’s not out of love for cinema.
You have also spoken about how you’d prefer to collaborate with corporate houses…
Yes. When you work with corporate houses, there are protocols. There are learned people, and there is respect. When you work with independent producers, there is a lot of ego at play. And once you get trapped in ego games, it’s ‘game over’ for you, especially for women in this industry.
Abhi poori khichdi ban chuki hai (It has been complete chaos recently). There is too much visibility and access to content due to OTT; people have that comfort. But also, there is a lot of pain and struggle for survival for the common man. There is competition in every field, and with it comes a lot of stress, be it about employment or class divide. So when budgets rise so much, how can a common person feel like going to the cinema? Until films become events, that is, with movies like Baahubali and Kantara.
Mahavatar Narasimha proved it again. As a producer, I knew it would work. The world is not going right, and there has been some derailment. In such times, you want to go back and see something good that tells you how to lead lives and bring brightness around. That’s also why mythology is working now.
The ‘event film’ is not a rule, though. Look at films like Su from So and Tourist Family, how they came out of nowhere and traveled all over. It’s purely because of their new and refreshing content.
Nobody encouraged me to become a producer. Growing up, when I watched Vijay Anand films, I would wonder how one person can be so prolific. I was attracted to the idea of doing it all, but I had no idea how to do it in Mumbai. Everyone told me to become an AD, but I quit that after assisting a few filmmakers because nobody was taking me seriously.
Nobody tells you, but a producer’s job is the most difficult. But I also like to take the road less travelled. On the road I took, competition was less. I did my job right and found my path.
My first film, Rustom, was an 85 crore film. Then films like Toilet and Pari happened. I didn’t come here with sentiments, but I have made my share of mistakes. Now, I know better about who to associate with. There are good people here as well, but you shouldn’t expect too much from everyone.
I do have a few close friends. Divya Khossla, who is also part of the Jatadhara’s cast, has been a close friend for 7 years. She is a bigshot, but she never judged me. She knows how to assess a person.
Akshay sir had encouraged me as a well-wisher, but I didn’t follow his advice. The things he asked me not to do, I did. That arrogance came with success, which led to my downfall. I am in touch with him. He knows I am a fiery producer, and I want to win his heart again with a great script and my own success.
There is Hero-Heroine, which is in pre-production. Then we have a thriller in the works. There’s also a Sanjay Dutt-starrer, for which scripting is in progress. Whatever film I make in Hindi, I want to do it well and get a good release for it. The kind of atmosphere there is in the Hindi industry, abhi mazaa nahi hai (it’s no fun). There is no audience there. In the South, people still flock to theaters for an enjoyable film.
After Pari, Jatadhara has been another satisfying film in this genre. I am glad I backed it up. When you watch it, you will see the quality and the efforts that went into it.