Pallaburusu, jointly produced by Annapurna Studios and Epic Studios, marks Uday Chauhan’s directorial debut. Mahabubnagar-born Uday, who studied Mass Communication, always wanted to become a director, and on August 14, his dream is set to come true. “My parents wanted me to become a doctor, but I was more interested in films. On my parents’ insistence, I took up Mass Communication in college. At that time, the digital era had just started, and I bought a camera and started clicking photos,” says Uday.
He started out as a journalist, but switched paths soon after to join a filmmaking course where he learnt about screenwriting, direction and other aspects. “Since I didn’t know anyone in the industry, I wanted to explore myself and figure out my path. Then I got an opportunity to work with ad filmmaker Vibhu Puri in Mumbai. He is also a writer and lyricist, and I worked as his assistant for a few years. After working for some time, I wanted to return to Tollywood and try my luck here, as I wanted to narrate my own stories,” says the filmmaker, who joined Zee Cinema when its Telugu channel was launched. However, he once again shifted paths to make an indie film that did the festival rounds. He also had a three-year stint with Jio Hotstar. Despite having so many experiences to draw inspiration from, it was his roots that gave him the crux of Pallaburusu.
“I always liked going to my grandparents’ place and spending time there. The village atmosphere is completely different because people shower a lot of love and affection on everyone. I observed a lot about the village and its people. Compared to a town, staying in a village definitely gives you more space, and the ambience gives you happiness, so I spent more time in the village,” says the filmmaker, who saw how the people might quarrel a lot over the smallest of things, but rally around each other when required. This gave birth to the idea of Pallaburusu. “They shout at each other and, after some time, they mingle again and forget about the past issue. That’s where I got the story idea,” says Uday.
With this story in hand, he approached Supriya Yarlagadda of Annapurna Studios, who is known for backing sensible films. “When I approached her and narrated my story, she agreed immediately. That’s how Pallaburusu started,” says Uday. Pallaburusu is about a father and son, who end up in court over a ₹25 toothbrush, he said, “It’s not just about the toothbrush. There are many layers, and I used this point only to create curiosity among everyone. When I announced the title Pallaburusu, many people asked about it, and it created a lot of curiosity, and the producers insisted on retaining the title.”
He added that there is a story behind the title Pallaburusu that will definitely interest everyone. “I have also conveyed an underlying message through this story, but it is not preachy. It will be narrated in an entertaining way,” says Uday, who knew that the casting of the film was the most important aspect of Pallaburusu. “Muralidhar Goud garu became popular after DJ Tillu, while Sudhakar Reddy garu acted in Balagam. Both of them fit perfectly into my film.”
The film was shot in Lachipeta village, near Dubbaka in Siddipet district. “I needed a live location with a tree, so after visiting many places, I found this village location to be apt for my story. The villagers also supported me a lot and showed a lot of affection towards us,” says the filmmaker, who revealed that the villagers were even more supportive when they knew Annapurna Studios was backing the project.
Recollecting the narration he gave to Nagarjuna, Uday says, “He liked it very much, and actually, Nagarjuna garu suggested a few corrections, which we incorporated during the editing.”
Though there were budget constraints, especially since the film had a lot of newcomers, Uday said that he completed the film as per the initial estimate. “I personally feel that pre-production is very important, and I did a lot of preparation for this film. I did recce at many places and then finalised the shooting location. I also worked out the scenes, what was required for them and so on. If you prepare properly, it becomes easy for everyone, especially the producer, and it can help reduce budget-related problems,” says Uday, who reiterates that there will be nothing illogical in Pallaburusu. The filmmaker adds that the film also has a love story, strong emotions, and a lot of entertainment.
Talking about the various inspirations he has as a filmmaker, Uday added that he watches a lot of world cinema along with Telugu films. “I watch European, American and Iranian films. I read about their work and the kind of films they choose. I was greatly inspired by Ingmar Bergman,
Adoor Gopalakrishnan and Satyajit Ray,” says Uday, who signs off by listing his inspirations from closer home. “I like Rajamouli garu because of his immense passion for making something that he believes in and bringing it onto the screen. It is a very tough job, because it is not easy, but he shows the grandeur and his passion for cinema.”