‘Kushi’ isn’t a love failure story like ‘Majili’ & ‘Ninnu Kori’: Shiva Nirvana

Related: Candid interview with ‘The’ Vijay Deverakonda

Deals with post-marriage life

This is the third time that the director is dealing with after-marriage situations. Though he terms the previous ones “failure love stories”, Shiva Nirvana claims that Kushi has mirth, mush and magic.

A poster of ‘Kushi’ film. (Twitter)

“Viplav (Viajy Deverakonda) and Aaradhya (Samantha Ruth Prabhu) are lovers who get married and deal with post-marital problems like facing opposition from parents. The film has funny situations, as suggested by the trailer. But when you watch it in theatres, there is an element that touches you deeply,” he explained.

He added, “There is a point that relates to the contemporary generation. When I narrated it to Vijay during the making of Ninnu Kori, he loved it. However, it took time to bring this lively, entertaining story to life. The title Kushi also is about the essence, the joy in and surrounding the story.”

The film was supposed to be wrapped in four months but suddenly, Samantha faced a health concern. She took breaks and the team had to wait for her to get back. “Samantha is an extraordinary actor and the wait was worth it,” Shiva Nirvana remarked.

In an interview recently, Vijay stated that his co-star would break out into inflammation and pain when facing sunlight. So, was this the reason why Kushi was shot in Kashmir? “No,” quips the director firmly.

“The story needed a new backdrop that would pique your curiosity which was why we chose Kashmir. The script wasn’t changed once locked. Once I finish my script, I consider it to be my Gita. No changes were made to accommodate anything,” said Shiva, matter-of-factly.

#Kushi is cominggg in
3..2..1 ❤️ pic.twitter.com/iD4z5xCGLp

— Vijay Deverakonda (@TheDeverakonda) August 29, 2023

Also Read: The past year taught me that it’s okay even if everything doesn’t go your way, says Samantha

About Hesham Abdul Wahab’s music

These days, at least a couple of songs need to work big time before the release to bring hype to the film.

Telugu director Shiva Nirvana wrote the lyrics for all songs in ‘Kushi’. (Supplied)

“I wanted a new sound and song for this new combination. I loved the song ‘Darshana’ in the Malayalam film Hridayam. I referred the soundtrack and its music director Hesham Abdul Wahab to Vijay. He liked it and we immediately roped Wahab in,” the filmmaker recalled.

Shiva wrote a few songs for his films previously. “For Kushi, I wrote all the songs. I was with Hesham who is just two films old. I sat with him for an hour at the Trident Hotel. He gave me a tune, but I didn’t like it.”

He recollected, “Vijay Deverakonda has an obsession with Kashmir and likes Maniratnam’s films. So, I wrote ‘Na Roja Nuvve, Anjali Nuvve, Geetanjali Nuvve‘. I wrote the lyric and he composed the tune instantly. Even the ‘Aaradhya‘ song was an instant composition.”

Hesham found the process organic. One song after the other followed. As Shiva penned the lyrics, Hesham Abdul Wahab composed and sang the track.

The director, due to his success track, is said to have charged a huge pay for Kushi. Is it true?

“I don’t know how this came up. My friends called and asked me how I appeared silent but on the sly, I make so much money. People in the media quoted crazy figures. Is it possible to make a movie if I charge hefty remuneration on par with the stars? Even my mother asked me if I made a lot of money,” the director clarified.

Related: Title song of ‘Kushi’ was the toughest to compose: Music director Hesham Abdul Wahab

‘Audience will love Vijay and Samantha’

Shiva Nirvana expressed confidence that girls will love Vijay Deverakonda and the families will own him, just like they did after the release of Geetha Govindam (2018).

As regards Samantha Ruth Prabhu, he remarked, “She did entirely different genres like The Family Man (2019, 2021), Yashoda (2022), and Shaakuntalam (2023). But it has been ages since you all have seen the vintage Samantha like in Ye Maya Chesave (2010). Kushi showcases that magical girl again.”

Samantha and Vijay Deverakonda in a still from ‘Kushi’. (Twitter)

He hastened to add: “The audience will like the music and the story, too.”

Shiva consciously didn’t make Kushi with a pan-Indian story. He just made an earnest attempt; his intentions and process of filmmaking were sincere.

The filmmaker believes in doing stories that are rooted in family and tradition. “If that works on a big level, it is good. But I don’t believe in writing a story just because the artists have a market. Success like Baahubali (2015, 2017) or RRR (2022) has to happen organically,” he asserted.

Was he inspired by any incident, considering the banging of doors in the movie”Doesn’t it happen in every house, banging doors on the face? Do you need inspiration?” he guffawed and signed off.

Produced by Mythri Movie Makers, Kushi is all set to hit the screens across the world on 1 September. The makers are also releasing this Telugu movie in dubbed versions — Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, and Hindi.

Also Read: When popularity is not enough: The rise and fall of Vijay Deverakonda