'Pawan Kalyan garu wanted to make a film on George Reddy'

Actor Sandeep Madhav aka Sandy, who shot to fame with Vangaveeti, is back in the reckoning with George Reddy. He plays the titular role in the film based on the slain Osmania University (OU) student leader and founder of Progressive Democratic Students Union (PDSU).

The trailer of the film, showcasing Sandy as the revolutionary leader, has garnered millions of views, and the dialogue, "Jeenahaito marna seekho" has sent the admirers of George Reddy into a tizzy.

Ahead of the film's release, Sandy reveals that he is excited as well as nervous to see the audience's reaction to it. "Director Jeevan Reddy and I are roommates. I've assisted him in Dhalam. He felt I resembled George and asked me to play the part. I've always dreamt of playing a student leader and my wish has been fulfilled with this film," shares the actor.  

Sandy has done his fair share of homework for the role. "I watched George Reddy's interview with BBC. I read books and several online articles about him. I also had conversations with his friends and people who were closely associated with him. They told me about his mannerisms and characteristics, like how he used to walk, talk, and interact with students. I lost weight, took training in kickboxing for six months, and rehearsed for Fireball and Handkerchief fights,” he tells us.

Despite cinematic liberties, Sandy explains that they have stayed true to the story of the student leader and have recreated the era as closely as possible. "The film is set between 1968 to 1970 and recreating that era was really challenging. It was also impossible to shoot the film at the OU campus for about two years. Hence, our art director Gandhi recreated the OU campus of the 70s at Gachibowli. Also, the Royal Enfield bike and cycles you see in the trailer belong to that era, and we bought everything to make it look realistic."

The actor is delighted to have received Pawan Kalyan’s support for the film. “The trailer has impressed everyone, and the compliments Pawan Kalyan garu gave for our work have been especially overwhelming. I am his ardent fan and wanted to thank him at our film’s pre-release event, which was called off after the Police department denied permission due to security reasons. In fact, Pawan Kalyan garu admires George Reddy and he wanted to do this film. So, we have dedicated a song to him,” reveals Sandy.

He has no regrets about having devoted two years for George Reddy. “It’s a fascinating story that demanded a certain level of dedication. In fact, I don’t want to detach myself from this emotional character by signing another film yet. I feel blessed to have portrayed George Reddy, who continues to be an inspiration to this day,” signs off Sandy.