Come January 30, Om Shanti Shanti Shantihi will hit the screens, marking the directorial debut of AR Sajeev. The film stars Tharun Bhascker and Eesha Rebba in the lead roles and is a Telugu adaptation of the Malayalam hit Jaya Jaya Jaya Jaya Hey.
“We have retained the core idea of the original, but everything has been adapted to suit Telugu nativity,” says Sajeev.
Hailing from Nidadavolu, a small town in the West Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh, Sajeev studied Civil Engineering. “I still have a few subjects pending, but my passion was always cinema. So I came to Hyderabad to try my luck,” he recalls.
Sajeev began his film journey as an assistant director under Sankalp Reddy of Ghazi fame. “I worked with him on Antariksham and Pitta Kathalu,” he says. Later, he assisted director Nanda Kishore and also worked on Stand Up Rahul. Over the years, he collaborated with several filmmakers, both as an assistant director and as a writer.
His inspiration to become a director, however, came much earlier. “I didn’t even know that there was a director behind every film. As a child, my uncle took me to watch Aadi. The theatre was packed, and everyone was cheering for someone. I thought Jr NTR had come to the theatre, but my uncle told me it was director VV Vinayak. That moment made me realise the importance of a director, and I decided that’s what I wanted to become,” Sajeev shares.
Ironically, despite working in the industry for years, Sajeev never got a chance to meet VV Vinayak. “I tried, but it never happened,” he says.
Since the original Malayalam film is already streaming on OTT platforms, the question of remaking it naturally arises. Sajeev explains that the decision was not entirely his. “It was the producer’s call. I had earlier worked on 35 Chinna Katha Kaadu, produced by Srujan. I initially pitched him a fresh story, but later he decided to remake this film and asked me to direct it. I didn’t really have a choice,” he admits.
However, he ensured significant changes in the Telugu version. “We set the entire story in a Godavari village. The cultural differences between Malayalam and Telugu audiences are vast, so we made several changes to the setting, characters, and narrative,” he adds.
Working with Tharun Bhascker was a special experience for Sajeev. “I once approached him to work as an assistant director, but that didn’t work out. Today, I’m directing him, which feels great,” he says. Sajeev adds that Tharun, despite being a director himself, never interfered in his process.
“On the first day of the shoot, I was nervous. But from the second day onwards, Tharun asked me to do things my way. He wanted the film to carry my signature. He even avoided watching the monitor after completing scenes,” Sajeev recalls.
Sajeev insists that the film will never feel like a remake. “The central conflict between the husband and wife remains the same, but everything else has changed. The backdrop, the character behaviour, and the tone make it feel completely fresh,” he explains.
Tharun recently watched the film and appreciated Sajeev’s work. “That compliment meant a lot to me and gave me huge confidence,” he says. Sajeev also notes that Eesha Rebba’s role is more impactful than the character played by Darshana Rajendran in the original.
“The music is also entirely different. Although we acquired the music rights along with the remake rights, we chose not to use the original score. We created new songs and a fresh background score,” he adds.
Talking about the characters, Sajeev explains that Tharun’s character runs a fish business and plays someone who has lived his entire life in the same village. “He is like a fish that doesn’t know the world outside his pond. He simply follows his father and uncle,” he says. Eesha Rebba’s character enters his life through marriage, though she is initially unhappy with it. “The story explores how her life changes through the influence of the people around her. But this is not a typical woman-centric film; it is a complete commercial entertainer,” Sajeev clarifies.
Sajeev also highlights his strength in planning and budgeting. “I prepared the budget even before the script was locked. I had done the same for 35 Chinna Katha Kaadu. We completed this film within the planned budget, and the shoot wrapped up in 39 working days,” he says.
Though Tharun Bhascker hails from Telangana, he had to adapt to the Godavari dialect for the film. “He learnt the accent very well. Audiences will be surprised by how convincingly he speaks in the Godavari dialect,” says Sajeev.
Interestingly, before entering the industry, Sajeev had no connections in films. “We were just a group of friends who used to meet at a café in Ameerpet. Nanda Kishore of 35 Chinna Katha Kaadu and Viswa Karun of Dilruba were part of that circle. We still meet even today,” he recalls.
Looking ahead, Sajeev is eager to move on to his next project. “I already have a couple of stories ready. Once this film releases, I’ll start working on the next one,” he signs off.