It’s been a long time since Telugu cinema has witnessed the commercial success of a traditional family entertainer. However, Venkatesh starrer Sankranthiki Vasthunam looks ready to shatter many myths this Sankranthi about contemporary boxoffice trends. Reportedly made on a budget of Rs 50 crore, the film looks ready to take a staggering opening on Tuesday. Director Anil Ravipudi sounds extremely secure about his film’s appeal to the masses. He elaborates, “We don’t need a separate USP. We have already reached that point where the audience is excited for our film. They like the songs and the comic moments in the trailer—this is relatable content for every family. The only thing that remains to be seen is the audience response when the film finally releases.”
The director credits the team’s extensive promotional activities as a crucial factor in their reach. The director admits that it has become tougher to bring in audiences to the theatres in a post-COVID scenario, explaining his zeal towards unique promotional activities for his film. He adds, “They have become picky, so one needs to do whatever can be done to grab their attention. We focused more on social media and reels this time, because anyone at our home can be found watching stuff on their phones. My mother too watches YouTube mostly nowadays. So when a star like Venkatesh partakes in these reels and promotions, it gets a lot of attention.”
Venkatesh and Anil have earlier worked together on F2 and F3. Anil was also one of the writers for the 2013 film Masala, which starred Venkatesh as one of the leads. Talking about his comfortable association with the actor, Anil states, “With Sankranthiki Vasthunam, our bonding has grown double in size. He is like a teacher to me and yet a best friend at the same time. So when you have a friend like that on it, you instantly catch the frequency of what the other is thinking.”
Anil Ravipudi also notes that contrary to popular perception, Sankranthiki Vasthunam is not an out-and-out comedy like their previous collaborations. “This is a different genre, with an element of crime rescue adventure. However, even if I explore other genres with Venkatesh, I want that entertainment quotient to always be the priority. I want my Venkatesh films to always be this way,” he clarifies.
Besides Venkatesh, the film stars Meenaakshi Chaudhary and Aishwarya Rajesh in the lead cast. The director is particularly full of praises for Aishwarya, who plays the role of Venkatesh’s wife. Mentioning how a few other actresses had rejected the role upon learning that the character was a mother of four children, Anil says about Aishwarya, “She is a super actress and a smart woman. We needed that innocence in the performer, along with a strong hold on the Godavari accident. Aishwarya is a rank student, so we wanted her to be a single-take artist for most scenes.”
Recalling his previous film Bhagavanth Kesari, which had a subplot where the protagonist aspires to join the army, Anil Ravipudi mentions that he would like to explore newer genres in the near future, particularly a women-centric sports drama. “It’s my dream to make a film on this idea, and perhaps I will attempt it a few years down the line.” The director, who has worked with many stars in his 10-year career as a director, states that he likes to stop and reflect on his learnings after a film is over and evaluate the plusses and minuses before he goes ahead to make his next.
Talking more about his future plans, the director also speaks about the subject of pan-India projects and how he currently doesn’t find himself suitable to pursue a film on those lines. He explains, “When visual wonder is the goal, the project will understandably need a lot of time, probably many reshoots. For a film like Sankranthiki Vasthunam, we need to work within a certain budget or framework.” The director reassures that entertainers like Sankranthiki Vasthunam are his comfort zone for now, adding, “I am comfortable doing regional films. There is a lot of traffic in the pan-India zone right now. Let’s see after 3-4 years. I still need to try different genres before I go down that lane.”
Further reflecting on the pan-India movement, Anil Ravipudi offers a new perspective, stating that we are rather witnessing a reinvention of the movement. He explains his stance: “Mayabazar came in 1957, which was followed by so many trick-photography-laden movies and adventure movies. After all these years, Rajamouli did something similar with Baahubali. And now that Telugu cinema is leading again, it’s a matter of pride for us that we get to live in these times as a working filmmaker.”