Director Shiva Nirvana is known for sensible films that blend light-hearted entertainment with strong emotions. After making his debut with the successful Ninnu Kori, Shiva Nirvana went on to direct four films and is now coming up with his fifth, Irumudi, starring Ravi Teja and Priya Bhavani Shankar in the lead roles. Mythri Movie Makers is producing the film, while GV Prakash Kumar is composing the music. The film is hitting the screens on August 21.
The pre-release event of the film was held on Sunday night at Shilpa Kala Vedika in Hyderabad. Director Shiva Nirvana spoke about Irumudi and how the story came about. “This is not a story written around the Ayyappa Swamy backdrop. I have only taken that backdrop for my story,” said Shiva Nirvana.
He said that every story needs a suitable backdrop. “I thought of a story about a father and daughter, where the daughter should be able to tell her father anything without hiding anything. The father is not an IAS officer; he is an auto driver who runs a small business in a village. He has a drinking habit, but he loves his daughter immensely. He also takes care of the problems faced by other girls. I thought about what would happen if such a person wears the Ayyappa mala, and that’s how I brought the Ayyappa Swamy backdrop into this story,” revealed Shiva Nirvana.
He said Telugu cinema and other South Indian industries have made several thrillers, with some of them being extraordinary. “But Irumudi is going to be an intense family drama, and I had never seen a serious film like this before. Don’t think that this film is going to be light-hearted like my earlier films. This is a serious and intense film, especially the last 40 minutes, where you will be completely immersed in the human emotional drama,” said Shiva Nirvana.
The director promised that audiences would witness a highly emotional film with an engaging screenplay. “Irumudi is going to be the most intense and serious family drama in TFI. So, I request you all to be prepared to watch a proper serious film in theatres,” said the director.
He revealed that the film begins by introducing the village and its characters. “Then, slowly, the story unfolds, and at the same time, the layers of the film are revealed. That is what Irumudi is about. When you come out of the theatre, you will definitely feel that emotional experience,” he said.
He added that the shooting began last December and the film is now ready for release. “Ravi Teja generally does films very fast, and I also wanted to make this film quickly. So, we were able to complete it in a short time. We shot the film in real locations in Seeleru for nearly 45 days,” said Shiva Nirvana.
Talking about Ravi Teja, the director said that after watching his earlier films, he initially thought about making a full-fledged mass film with him. “But this is a completely performance-oriented film, and you will see Ravi Teja’s full potential as an actor. He is an actor who can easily connect with the audience, and he maintains the same emotion from the beginning to the end. I promise that people will watch this film a second time just for Ravi Teja’s performance,” said Shiva Nirvana.
Talking about Priya Bhavani Shankar, he said that he was clear about her role from the beginning. “I told Priya in the beginning that this story is between a father and daughter, and she never put any pressure on me regarding her role. A talented actor like Priya doesn’t need to appear in a hundred scenes. Three or four scenes are enough to show what she can do. In this film, Priya has three scenes, and you can see how well she performs in them,” said Shiva Nirvana.
The director also praised Swasika for her performance. “I saw her in Lubber Pandhu, and after watching her performance, I cast her in Irumudi. She is an actor who is doing different kinds of characters in Telugu, and she is extraordinary in Irumudi,” he said.
He added that child artiste Nakshatra has also done very well as Ravi Teja’s daughter. “The scenes between Ravi Teja and Nakshatra are very emotional, and she gave a sterling performance,” said Shiva Nirvana.
The director also spoke highly about music composer GV Prakash Kumar. “When I was an assistant director, I wanted to work with GV Prakash garu,” he said. He added that he admires the composer because he can deliver music for action, emotion and melody. “My film has rawness, and at the same time, I needed melody. GV provided both. You will enjoy his songs and the background music,” said Shiva Nirvana.
