Five years after making his directorial debut with Uppena, filmmaker Buchi Babu Sana is back with his sophomore film, Ram Charan’s much-awaited sports action drama Peddi. The film, which is all set to hit the screens on June 4, is produced by Venkata Satish Kilaru under the Vriddhi Cinemas banner and presented by Mythri Movie Makers and Sukumar Writings. Reflecting on his journey, Buchi Babu says, “Usually, a director doesn’t take five years to make his next film after delivering a blockbuster, but that’s what happened in my case.”
Revealing that it was his mentor, Sukumar, who introduced him to Ram Charan, Buchi Babu says, “It took me nearly 2.5 years after Uppena to reach Charan sir with the script. Once he approved it, we completed the entire shoot in about a year and a half.” Opening up about the sports portions of the sports action drama, the filmmaker reveals a Dangal connect. “We took extra care with the wrestling sequences. We brought in the trainer who coached Aamir Khan for Dangal. We also included wrestlers from Telangana in our team, and all the actors underwent special training. Ram Charan sir trained for about three to four months specifically for this film.”
The trailer and music by AR Rahman are making all the right noises. “I’ve always loved Rahman sir’s albums, especially Roja and Bombay. Working with AR Rahman sir was a dream come true for me. In fact, I want to work with him throughout my career,” says the filmmaker.
Addressing reports that Peddi was initially written for Jr NTR, the director clarifies that the two projects were entirely different. “The story I had in mind for Jr NTR garu was different. Peddi is a completely different story written specifically for Ram Charan sir."
Talking about Ram Charan’s dedication to the film, Buchi Babu reveals that the actor suffered several injuries during filming. “He suffered many injuries, especially during the wrestling sequences. At one point, he injured his eye, and blood started flowing. I was really scared and worried that Chiranjeevi garu might scold me. The incident was even captured on camera. Fortunately, Chiranjeevi garu said, ‘Buchi, send me the video,’” shares the filmmaker with a laugh.
The director also spoke about Ram Charan’s transformation for the role. “We divided Peddi’s journey into three phases. I used AI to design how the character should look at each stage and showed those concepts to Charan sir. He transformed even better than what I had imagined. His transformation is absolutely mind-blowing,” says the filmmaker.
Buchi Babu also hinted at a major emotional element that has been kept under wraps. “The film contains a powerful emotional storyline beneath its sports backdrop, including a crucial 15-minute emotional block that we deliberately chose not to reveal in the trailer,” says the filmmaker, who further shares that Peddi is set against the backdrop of Vizianagaram. “Art director Avinash did an extraordinary job recreating the atmosphere of 1985. Everything looks natural and authentic on screen."
When asked about his next project, Buchi Babu reveals he already has a strong story ready, but has yet to decide which actor he will collaborate with. Will it be that Jr NTR film that everyone is talking about? “If Jr NTR sir calls me, I will run to him and narrate the story immediately,” signs off Buchi Babu.