Exclusive: I am ready to direct stories written by others, says Sudheer Varma

Chartbuster from Ravanasura

The filmmaker couldn’t be happier given the positive buzz Ravanasura has garnered, business-wise; especially since one of the songs from the flick has become a chartbuster much before the release of the film.

A working still from one of Sudheer Varma’s films. (Supplied)

Sudheer Varma says that the number, “Pyaar Lona Paagal” has taken the film to a next level. It was the first song to be shot and was filmed at the very beginning of the movie. It is a breakup song and is already trending on YouTube.

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“Creating a buzz is the biggest task and we did it. Ravi Teja rendered the song,” Sudheer Varma said.

“When we gave Harsha the situation, he played the music that’s usually played at Hyderabadi weddings. Then Kasarla Shyam penned down simple lyrics. The lyrics got an immediate reach and connectivity with the audience,” he explained.

A native of Bhimavaram in West Godavari district, the director believes that promo songs can only give an opening to a movie but the story should match the expectations of the audience. He seems well aware of what is expected of him, as a filmmaker.

Raising the bar with every beat 🤩🤘🏻https://t.co/FLexxsDzxt#PyaarLonaPaagal made it to 6️⃣ million+ playlists and is trending on YouTube ❤️‍🔥#Ravanasura @RaviTeja_offl @sudheerkvarma @RTTeamWorks @fariaabdullah2 @rameemusic @LyricsShyam @SrikanthVissa @itswetha14 pic.twitter.com/EIUINT5LPO

— ABHISHEK PICTURES (@AbhishekPicture) February 23, 2023

On directing others’ stories

Sudheer Varma has a lot of clarity and vision. He usually writes his own stories and is more known for his racy screenplay — be it his debut Swamy Ra Ra (20123), Dochay (2015), Keshava (2017), Kirrak Party (2018) or Ranarangam (2019).

But, this time, he directed a story written by Srikanth Vissa and pulled it off with confidence.

Sudheer Varma explaining a shot to actor Rao Ramesh. (Supplied)

His forte is directing (stylish) thrillers laced with situational humour. Ravanasura is no different but it is an action thriller and is made on a vast scale with a star hero (for the first time).

Sudheer Varma waxes eloquently on Ravi Teja. “He can perform any role with elan. He has a funny bone and can bring the hall down with his punch dialogues and inimitable diction.”

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The director is well aware of his strengths and limitations. But, given the fact that Ravanasura is someone else’s story and casts a star hero, wasn’t he worried about the outcome?

“Well, Srikanth Vissa made my job easier by enacting each character and I understood what he wanted. My challenge was to fulfil the vision of the writer. I’m glad that everyone is content with the final output. Now, I’m open to directing the stories written by others. I enjoyed the process thoroughly,” he declared.

In 2 days 🤩
Witness the rise of #Ravanasura, the ultimate symbol of evil! 🤙🏾

Dropping the menacing #RavanasuraTeaser on March 6th at 10:08 AM 🔥@RaviTeja_offl @iamSushanthA @AbhishekPicture@RTTeamWorks@rameemusic @SrikanthVissa @navinnooli @itswetha14 pic.twitter.com/C0SZuVBRr7

— sudheer varma (@sudheerkvarma) March 4, 2023

A handful of heroines

Ravi Teja’s ‘Ravanasura’ poster. (sudheerkvarma/Twitter)

The only thing that excites Sudheer Varma these days is a new edit cut or some fresh background score.

Ravanasura has a sharp edit of 2 hours 20 minutes which is a typical feature of his films. He roped in cinematographer Vijay Karthik Kannan of Doctor (Tamil movie) fame.

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There are a handful of heroines in the Ravi Teja-starrer. The director says they all play key roles in the flick and their presence is justified.

“We didn’t take the actresses just to drop names. There are other heroes as well and their roles are seamlessly woven into the script. You’ll agree with me when you watch Ravanasura,” he signed off.