‘Eagle’ has adrenaline-pumping action with relevant social commentary: Director Karthik Gattamaneni

Unlike conventional action films, Eagle introduces a protagonist who is a cotton farmer, yet embroiled in international conflicts with far-reaching implications, he says.

Here are a few excerpts from his interview with the media in Hyderabad:

‘Wanted to ensure Hollywood action flick experience’

Describing Eagle as a “larger-than-life entertainer”, Karthik Gattamaneni says the titular character Eagle played by Ravi Teja usurps societal upheaval through his acts of destruction.

“The film resonates with the audience. Eagle has the blend of adrenaline-pumping action with relevant social commentary.”

Drawing parallels to Hollywood action like Rambo and Terminator, Karthik says Eagle aimed at bringing that experience with intense action sequences.

“It is a crowd-pleaser. Eagle is delivering an electrifying experience in theatres for film lovers. I hope it transcends the boundaries of the traditional action genre,” he quipped.

Eagle is produced by producer TG Vishwa Prasad under the banner People Media Factory. Vivek Kuchibhotla is the co-producer.

Kavya Thapar and Anupama Parameswaran are the leading ladies.

Also Read: Will Ravi Teja’s ‘Eagle’ be worth the hype?

Pat from Mass Maharaja

A poster of ‘Eagle’. (X)

Asked what encouraged him to make such a big action flick with Ravi Teja, Karthik Gattamaneni replied: “I have always liked action flicks since childhood. However, there are some limitations in my career. Now, I am happy to get a chance to do a full-scale action movie with Eagle. I’m thrilled to have the chance to fully explore the genre I liked.”

He added, “I want to push the boundaries of filmmaking in the action genre. I promise Telugu audiences a thrilling experience unlike any other.”

Karthik Gattamaneni narrated the story to Ravi Teja while working as a cameraman for Dhamaka (2022).

Recalling the actor’s response, the director said, “As soon as he heard the story, he said, ‘This is a good commercial film. Let’s do it.’ Everyone knows that Ravi Teja is a brilliant actor.”

“But sometimes due to commercial aspects of filmmaking, comedy, dance, and action have to be done in many different ways. Being intense yet so cool is a unique quality in him,” he added.

The filmmaker says it was essential to explore the style of Ravi Teja through the character.

“We tried different looks of Virumandi, Rashoman, Vikram, etc. No one can match the energy levels of Ravi Teja. But the most important thing I learnt from him is discipline. His eating habits and sleeping hours are perfect. He lives a happy life. He is a man with self-control,” Karthik said.

Asked why the movie titled Eagle, Karthik Gattamaneni explained, “An eagle can locate its prey from a far-off distance, say four kilometres from the ground level. Here the protagonist has that power.”

“Also, the code name of this character in the movie is Eagle. We tried to give this name in Hindi as well. There is a movie with the same name. So we released it in Hindi as Sahadev Varma,” he signed off.

Ma sahadevudu mondodu matrame kaadhu manchodu kuda🤗🔥

Witness his VISPOTANAM in theatres from Tomorrow 😎#EAGLE https://t.co/0LkhBBx2pc pic.twitter.com/e7bTgq9ezh

— Karthik Gattamneni (@Karthik_gatta) February 8, 2024

Eagle review: This bird falls prey to clueless action blocks, over-the-top dialogues, and redundant encyclopaedia