So it's very interesting you know and
Now I know why Amir sir does it a lot of people of do it
So when you have a lot of time in your hands, I think it's a
It becomes very powerful you know for the focus groups
So when you show it to a larger audience
I think it becomes very important
no, there are multiple ideas going on so
we've not zeroed in on anything
It's too early to speak about the film
But
It's a dream come true for me and it's always
you know trying to
we've been trying to work for a long time
and it's happening
the original Gudachari 116 which starred Krishna Garu
Mahesh Sir's dad in fact
we had actually approached Krishna Garu saying, sir
would you like to do a cameo in it and he said
First 4 months of the lockdown
When the films released here I mean the openings of the films were sensational and
I got calls from the industries saying
What's happening there?
Did the pandemic really happen?
Hi guys this is Himesh, and welcome to PINKVILLA
Today we have with us superstar Mahesh Babu and Adivi Sesh
With us who are all gearing up for the release of Major
Welcome to PINKVILLA guys it's lovely having you here firstly,
Thank you
My first question is to you know as a producer
every person looks for one aspect in a script
What was it that got you onboard Major?
I've been saying this
a lot before
I think his work, his previous work what he's been doing
I've seen his previous films
Kshanam, Evaru
Gudachari
him and director Sashi's work
And I've really admired their work and so when
Anurag and Sharad are very dear to me they've been a part of my team
and so when they got this idea to me that you know Sesh
Wants to make this film
It's a biopic
About Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan
So it's a very important story
and I felt that you know when
Sesh was going to make this film
I instantly knew that it was going to be a very good film and I immediately said yes to it
And I'm glad you know I took that decision
today when I see the film
There's immense satisfaction and I'm really proud of him and his team
and really
very very happy and proud
And sesh how did you decide on you know approaching Mahesh sir
for this film to come onboard as a producer
Again I think Anurag and Sharad are the reason that
I was able to get an audience with Mahesh sir
Before that, I'd known him as an audience watching him on screen
I think,
My biggest understanding of this journey has been that he trusts people
more than the idea itself
So
he trusted us
It was Namrata garu who asked us about the script
and about how we were going to make the film but
Mahesh sir only wished us well
So I think it comes from a lot trust and
I called him last night after he saw the film
I told him that it meant the world to me that
he felt we were able to
keep
his faith and keep his trust
And you know we were just talking about test screenings for the film that you have held
How do the 2 of you view the concept of test screening
because you know very few actors actually do that so
and I think in Bollywood there's one who does it is Amir Khan sir and
Apart from that no one and even over here I don't think it's practised a lot
So how do you view this idea?
It's a
very...
Amazing
concept if you ask me and it's
I don't do it with my films to be honest with you
So it's not a practice we follow in South
but
Sesh has been doing it and
I think for Major we've had a number of screenings in Bombay
There were a lot of focus groups which
you know he wanted this I think from
I think it's from the last one month they've been doing it?
So one month.
So, there were a lot of screenings which happened and
so last night when I saw the film and
when I was discussing what I felt
and he was saying this is exactly what happened in some of the focus groups
Which have- you know which they screened
so it's very interesting you know and
now I know why Amir sir does it a lot of people do it
so when you have a lot of time on your hands I think it's
It becomes very powerful you know
for the focus groups
so when you show it to the larger audience
I think it becomes very important and it's
very good I think for the entire team
and you have been doing it for a long time?
That focus group?
Oh this is the first-
see usually we have
Focus groups in the sense like we show our films when the edit is done
To a smaller group of
people like our friends then
Like we don't show it to a larger audience like this
The first time when you know the entire film is done
so you don't go ahead and you call an audience and you like
Certain sections of the Bombay press have seen the film
So they've gone ahead and shown it to them
to a lot of audience
So this happens when you're really confident about the film
and what you have in your hands, I think
and so this is a very good practice
and so even in the future I think
a lot of films are going to follow this
true
I mean you get the feedback in advance for the film and you can work on it
I believe if there are something constructive that comes out of it
Yeah I mean I think I've
I actually, think it started with my insecurity on Gudachari
and because we believed in the film
but we weren't sure about what we were doing
so we started doing these 10 member focus groups
We'd bring them to an edit suite and start showing it to them
The way we shaped the Major
The process we would show it to 10 people at a time or 20 people at a time in our office
We put up a projection and show it and then last month when we realised we have
cold
we decided to put it theatrically and show it to 400 people
and not control the process in any way
not say anything none of the actors are going to be there
just have an unknown assistant director
Just have a piece of paper and see what their reactions are
And Mahesh sir I was just reading about your track record at the box office
And I discovered that you are the only star of the Telegu film industry
Whose 5 consecutive films have done a pre-release business of 100 crores
including SVP which is up for release
How do you view that?
You know does that add on to any pressure
And how do you look at the trust that the industry has in you?
I, right now you don't look at
as pressure to be very honest
I'm very excited you know it's there's no pressure at all
I think right now I'm in a very exciting phase of my career and
So yeah it's very very exciting
And so you know how has your script selection evolved
in the last say 4 years in specific you know because
you have always had the vision of you know
Taking Telegu to the global platform
and now that is happening so now when you are selecting scripts
You have a film with SS Rajamouli up next
so now when you're selecting scripts what is it that you keep in mind
like has that-
I always go with my gut feeling to be very honest
It's always been like that and so when I take up a project I never discuss it
with anybody
so I say yes
So, that's how it is I go with my gut feeling even when Sharad and
Anurag came and said you know Sesh wants to make something like this
I said yes, I didn't say
Hey you know this something is going to happen should I produce it
No, I said yes because I went with my gut feeling
So that's how I am and that's how I like to be and it's very exciting
And this question is for the both of you
So you have SVP up for release on Friday
It's termed as a full-on commercial film what I've been reading on Twitter
And do you believe in pandemic times this is the genre which is
going to bring back the audience because there is so much
trouble that has happened in the pandemic
So do you think this is the genre which will flourish
in the times to come to bring in the audience back
This is a genre
which always flourishes
It's a commercial film it's a commercial film you know
you want the theatres to rock you want the theatres to roar
you want the theatres to laugh
so that's always going to be there and
the last, I mean the Telegu industry has been doing sensationally well
So like even after the pandemic
the first 4 months of the lockdown when the films released here
I mean the openings of the films were sensational and i
I got calls from the other industries saying
what's happening there?
Did the pandemic really happen?
So I think the audience has been very loving towards our films
and they would love the cinematic experience
and we are very thankful for that
And what do you have to say on this?
I think yeah as Mahesh has said
we've had a very different experience in Hyderabad
Between the first wave & the second wave
We had a massive bonanza of films doing extremely well
we had a big 'Sankranti'
So I think there was never a question of
whether people will come back to the theatres
That doubt doesn't exist for us
and I think that confidence is taking Telegu films into Hindi
taking Telegu cinema into the world
I think in addition to that it's also-
I always say this to my friends
What bhangra is for Punjabis I think film is for telegu folks
And Mahesh sir next up is for you is a film with-
I mean next, you have Trivikram sir's film
and then you have an SS Rajamouli film
I spoke to Vijendra Prasad sir and he said it's an African jungle adventure
How did you first react when he came up to you with this idea?
No, there are multiple ideas going on so we've not zeroed in on anything
It's too early to speak about the film but it's
it's a dream come true for me and it's always you we've
been trying to work for a long time
and it's happening finally so it's yeah
really really excited about the film
And last question for the both you,
how do the two of you view the idea of sequels?
You have Hit coming up and then Gudachari 2
And sir I believe you have not done any sequel so far
so how do you view the idea of a sequel and is there any film of yours
you think can be spinned into a franchise
Both of you
never thought in that direction and
So you have to ask Sesh because he's
He's doing 2 already
But about Hit, I think it's quite exciting because he was not part of the first part
So I think that's something new which he's trying to attempt
And so that's quite interesting because you always do
sequel of your own films so what he's trying to do is I think
it's something new
So but I've never I mean that thought didn't come into my head
but why not!
And you?
I think the only time I ever thought of a sequel or anything of that sort
was for Gudachari
So we are taking Gudachari as a set of films
And actually for me the inspiration of it was
The original Gudachari 116
which starred Krishna Garu Mahesh sir's Dad
In fact,
We had actually approached Krishna Garu saying
Sir would you like to do a cameo in it and he said
but you can use any clips from his old film, he said
So the big coincidence in fact, was
a lot of the scenes that we wrote we hadn't seen
we hadn't seen that film in a long time but
There are actually 3-4 scenes that are exactly the same
So... that process happened
because for us we saw 116 we saw 117 we saw Agent Gopi
Hit 2 I think
As Mahesh sir said, it was just offered to me
Nani called me up Nani's a dear friend
And I love him as an actor and he just offered me the film
he said they want to go much bigger than Hit 1
And so that's how I was offered the film
Thank you so much guys
it was lovely speaking to you and wish you all the best for Major
It looks simply fantastic sir
Thank you