Director Ajay Bhupathi created a sensation with his debut film RX 100 (2018) and later delivered another critically acclaimed film, Mangalavaaram, a dark thriller. He is now gearing up for the release of Srinivasa Mangapuram, which introduces Jai Krishna, grandson of legendary actor Krishna and nephew of Superstar Mahesh Babu. Rasha Thadani, daughter of Bollywood actor Raveena Tandon, is also making her Telugu debut with the film. Srinivasa Mangapuram is set to hit theatres on Thursday, July 30.
Talking about the film, Ajay Bhupathi describes it as an intense love story. “It is an intense love story told realistically. At the same time, it is a complete commercial entertainer with emotions, mass elements and songs,” he says, as he elaborates on the factors that would make this fictional story look realistic. “We shot the entire film in real locations, which adds authenticity to the narrative. During the shoot, I even wrote a few new scenes and dialogues inspired by incidents I witnessed in real life."
Ajay Bhupathi clarifies that Srinivasa Mangapuram is a story-driven drama and not a hero-centric film. “There are no unnecessary hero elevations. It is a story-driven love drama with strong emotions. Mohan Babu sir's character has come out exceptionally well, and audiences will definitely love his performance,” he says. The director believes every love story's success depends on a strong narration and is confident that the film will draw people in within the first few minutes. “What makes a film different is the way it is narrated and presented. I am confident that Srinivasa Mangapuram will feel fresh. Within ten minutes, audiences will become invested in the story. The pain and emotional weight of the characters will be felt even after leaving the theatres."
Recalling his first meeting with Jai Krishna, Ajay shares that though Jai was an introvert, he bonded well after a few meetings. “After meeting him a few more times, we connected well, and I decided to move forward with the project.” The director, impressed by the debutant's performance, says that the audience will forget he is a first-time actor. “He is a very shy person. But once we started interacting regularly, he opened up and completely owned the film. His screen presence and emotional performance are so convincing that audiences won't feel they are watching a debut actor."
Ajay, who worked with debutants in RX100, was candid about not wanting to work with debutants anymore, but Jai and Rasha changed his opinion. “Rasha Thadani is a hard-working, sincere and humble actor. I also met her parents, Raveena Tandon and Anil Thadani. She seems to have inherited these qualities from them. Rasha would be the first person to arrive on the sets, often by 5.30 in the morning," he says, as he feels fortunate that not only did Jai and Rasha's good nature make him revisit his decision not to work with newcomers, but also helped the film a lot. "After RX 100, I didn't want to work with newcomers again, but Jai Krishna and Rasha changed my opinion. Rasha is very talkative, while Jai quietly listens to everyone. They look wonderful together on screen."
He asserts that while he was swayed by Mahesh Babu’s appreciation of the film and its performances, the weight of the Ghattamaneni legacy did not leave him feeling pressured while handling Ajay. “Mahesh Babu garu told me that he liked the way I moulded both Jai Krishna and Rasha and presented them naturally on screen. That compliment meant a lot to me,” he says, as he further states that Jai Krishna's family respected his creative freedom. “I simply followed my story and my style of filmmaking. Jai Krishna's family gave me complete freedom. I have immense respect for Krishna garu's legacy and Mahesh Babu garu's stardom, but I never let those factors influence my filmmaking."
When Pan-Indian stories are the order of the day, Ajay confesses he is not interested in hopping on the trend. He feels that such stories are time-consuming and he is interested in telling stories of Telugu soil. “If I start writing pan-Indian stories, it will take me four years to complete one script. I don't want that. I write stories rooted in Telugu culture," he says, sharing that rooted Telugu stories told with conviction will find takers among a non-Telugu audience. "If they connect with audiences, they will naturally travel to other languages. Tamil and Malayalam audiences appreciated Mangalavaaram. Initially, I only wanted to release it in South Indian languages, but Hindi audiences loved it too, and the film was later released there."
Speaking about his upcoming projects, Ajay confirms a sequel to Mangalavaaram. “The sequel will be much bigger than the first film. Some scenes will give audiences goosebumps. There will be several new characters, along with more twists and surprises. I am currently working on the script and will announce the cast and other details soon,” he says, to share how he derives stories for his films before signing. “I observe people, my surroundings and society. Most of the character names in my films are inspired by real people I have met. I don't have any ego about interacting with others. Whether they are ordinary people or celebrities, I enjoy talking to everyone and observing their behaviour. That is where my stories come from."
