‘Finding information about Tiger Nageswara Rao was far from easy’

Starting his career in the film industry in 2018, businessman turned producer Abhishek Aggarwal has a string of successful Telugu and Hindi films under his kitty. Armed with his latest project Tiger Nageswara Rao, he talks to Cinema Express about his early tryst with cinema, how he handles criticism, what philosophy drives his script selection and more

Excerpts 

Where did your journey in film production begin?

My journey in the film industry began in 2018. I was previously involved with chit-fund and real estate businesses. Due to my passion for cinema and the influence of some of my friends, I took the plunge. I started out as an executive producer with Goodachari. After that, Kirrak Party, Sita, A1 Express, Raja Raja Chora, Kashmir Files, Kartikeya 2 and Dhamaka followed, in quick succession. And here we are now, with Tiger Nageswara Rao. 

Would you say you were interested in films from a very young age? 

Yes. My grandfather was in this business as well.  Some of my earliest memories involved watching my grandfather screen films for the local Marwari society. Even my father loved cinema and ensured we always saw some film or the other, mostly a Hindi one, as a family during the weekend. So, my passion towards cinema goes way back. As a line of work though, cinema was a business opportunity for me first. The more I learnt about it by working hands-on, the more passionate I did eventually become about production as well. 

Do you think there is more uncertainty in the film business, compared to others? 

No, not really. I truly believe that if you make a film keeping the audience and their tastes and preferences in mind, the film will work 200 per cent. There has been such a wide change in the style of making films before and after the pandemic. Content-based cinema is what the audience wants the most today. If you make a content-based film, it does not matter if it is small or big, the film will do well in the box office. 

You have created a niche in the industry with films that are either out-and-out entertainers, like Dhamaka, or political films like Kashmir Files, or the third kind of films that combine entertainment with a certain social/political messaging (Goodachari/Karthikeya 2)... 

When you are born into this world, it is incumbent upon you to serve the society, the community, the nation you are born into in some way or the other. There are so many untold stories in our nation, so many unsung heroes, I feel responsible to be a part of the movement that brings these stories to light. I try to pick stories that attempt to tell the untold stories of India in a persuasive yet entertaining manner. 

The Kashmir Files is your most successful film to date. It is also your most polarising film so far. How did you deal with the success and the criticism? 

Making Kashmir Files was a challenging journey that lasted about two and half years. Be it collecting testimonials as part of the pre-production, shooting in the middle of the pandemic or trying to find screens for our release, there were a lot of obstacles we as a team had to go through. But the film managed to do very well. Its success gave my banner a nationwide platform, in addition to making me feel a lot more responsible about my work, about telling good stories. As far as criticisms are concerned, I don’t pay heed to any of them. I do my work and go. 

Could you speak a bit about your latest project, Tiger Nageswara Rao? 

Tiger Nageswara Rao is the biopic of a thief. When you make a biopic about a sportsman or a politician, it is very easy to find source material. But that is not the case with Tiger Nageswara Rao. Getting information about him was far from easy. It was also important for us that we give a positive message in this biopic, that was another challenge for us. 

You are releasing Tiger Nageswara Rao in the Indian Sign Language in a bunch of theatres. Could you speak a bit about the move? 

We are releasing the film in ISL in about 60-odd screens. It is my belief that everybody is entitled to watch and enjoy a film equally. This was a small attempt to bridge that gap among viewers that prevents them from enjoying a film, while putting a smile on some of their faces. 

Could you give us updates on your future projects, including Goodachari 2, which has been in pre-production for a while now? 

Goodachari 2 will be going on floors this November. We also have The India House with Nikhil Siddhartha, which will start shoot in January. We are working on two more biopics which will be announced soon.