Navdeep: There shouldn't be any language barrier in cinema
It’s rare for contemporary Telugu cinema to boldly explore the subject of caste dynamics, and that’s precisely why Dhandoraa, the upcoming social drama that releases on Thursday, stands out. Directed by Muralikanth, Dhandoraa promises to deal with a heavy and relevant subject with a touch of humour and satire.
Ahead of the film’s release, CE catches up with the lead cast of Dhandoraa — Navdeep, Ravi Krishna, Manika, and Mounika Reddy — to talk about the experience of working on the movie, the research that went into nailing the Telangana accent, and more.
Excerpts:
Navdeep, how was it playing the village head in Dhandoraa?
Navdeep: Since this is a proper rural Telangana character, I tried to keep the language authentic. It’s a serious concept-based film, and in that gravity, mine is a funny character. You can even call it an energetic comic break.
How has the team treated this serious subject with a focus on entertainment?
Navdeep: It’s a rare combination. We have seen a lot of serious films on caste-related concepts. But Muralikanth conceived it with dark humour, and I think he has succeeded in his intent.
Ravikrishna, how is your character going to be different from the one you played in Virupaksha?
Ravikrishna: In Dhandoraa, I play a guy next door. He has a love story, and he does a lot of random things, including a few mistakes. The reason why I accepted Dhandoraa is that the character was completely different from Virupaksha.
Manika, were there any workshops for the film?
Manika: There was a very brief workshop for getting the language right. The first scene we were rehearsing for, both Ravi and I were very shy. That’s when the director asked us to just go all out and not be afraid of making a fool of ourselves. That helped us crack the scene and the accent.
Is there one particular protagonist in this story?
Navdeep: Everybody is the lead in their story. The story is the protagonist. Whether it's a small or a big character, everyone has importance. When we think of a story with 4-5 characters, it usually feels like someone is leading it. However, here, every track has a hero, a problem, a solution, a journey, a beginning, and an end.
There are a lot of raw, native subjects these days...
Navdeep: People are clearly tired of only seeing stories where it’s all about showing extravagance. Now, the scale you use to tell a story is secondary, and what matters more is the emotional connection. Be it small films or big hits, they are more driven by the point they are making, and people are appreciating them.
After a long time, we have a film with almost all Telugu actors. Usually, only the main lead is Telugu…
Navdeep: Artists can be from anywhere. But definitely, one has to encourage local talent in any industry. However, when it comes to cinema and art, there shouldn’t be any language barrier.
But there is another perspective to it — Telangana-based movies don’t perform well in the Andhra region…
Mounika: In Dhandoraa, it’s more of a story-driven film than a narrative that relies on its setting.
Ravi Krishna: When I was dubbing for this film, I did not feel that the Telangana flavour was in excess.
Manika: I feel the story and the emotions are the same in Andhra, so it will be equally relatable for them.
Mounika: These subjects we are dealing with happen much more in Andhra, probably, than in Telangana.
How would you justify the title for such a serious subject?
Navdeep: Usually in movies, death is portrayed very seriously. But if you see real life, except for the family members, everyone else is very normal about it. Coming to the title, the idea is that we are telling this grave story in a boisterous manner, and hence the word ‘Dhandoraa’.
Navdeep, you did an unconventional film like Love Mowli last year, but it didn’t work...
Navdeep: The failure of Love Mouli hurt me a lot. I had worked hard on it for many years, but didn’t get the result that I wanted. Many people say I am better in funny roles than the serious ones. Audiences remember my films like Gowtham SSC and Chandamama more, and that's why I feel Dhandoraa will satisfy many, for sure.
But the truth is, if we do our job honestly, how it turns out or how the audience receives it becomes secondary. We have to enjoy our work first.