The minds of most journalists patiently waiting for a conversation with filmmaker Shankar will be focused on how candidly or otherwise the filmmaker will answer their questions. last year’s failure indian 2 Did it make him a more reluctant speaker? Surely the constant trolling has taken its toll on him? Is he nervous about how the audience will perceive his Telugu debut? game changerNow starring globally famous RRR Star Ram Charan?
On the contrary, Shankar embodies a clear, steadfast sense of optimism the moment he steps onto the stage. His calm demeanor emphasizes that perhaps he is bigger than a project failure.
He says that negative reviews never affected him. “We have to accept it. Everyone has the right to criticize and hence we have to take negative reviews as challenges.” He says that he always keeps an eye on what needs to be done in the present and when the film is finished. What needs to be done next?
How did ‘Game Changer’ become?
His game changerSet to release on Sankranti next week, the film initially began as an interim project during the COVID-19 pandemic-induced lockdown that would allow them to spread their wings without burning a hole in the pocket. “Because there were uncertainties and restrictions were imposed on film production. I was already working indian 2 And 3and scripting for velpari Was in full enthusiasm. For two other stories I needed a bigger budget; One was a VFX film that needed a fresh face as the hero, and the other was a spy thriller that demanded shooting in exotic locations. I wanted something different and the prospect of adapting someone else’s story excited me.” And that’s when writer-director Karthik Subbaraj came up with the story. game changerafter which it went through the process of becoming more Shankar-ishAs shown in the promo, the film focuses on the conflict between an IAS officer, played by Charan, and a politician, played by SJ Suryah. “There’s a background story to who this officer is, and the shape that the story takes in the midst of this war is the most exciting part of the movie.”
Before you can question the film’s political theme, Shankar rejects the notion that all his films take an anti-corruption stance. “Just because these films deal with politics, people reduce those issues to just one word: corruption. But there are different aspects to it; There are different types of governance, and in this film, we have tried to explore the powers and limitations of an IAS officer,” he explains, while also clarifying that Charan’s character is not different from any real-life officer. Not inspired by, say, TN Seshan. “As a story develops, it may take shape taking some parallels from real life, but we did not design the character based on any one person.”
Ram Charan and SJ Surya in a scene from ‘Game Changer’ Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
On making a straight Telugu film, Ram Charan’s explosive energy, and more
Making a straight Telugu film has been a long-time desire of Shankar, who is grateful for the love given to the dubbed versions of his films by the Telugu audience. The familiarity of his cinema school in the Telugu-speaking states also meant that he did not need a new film language to cater to his sensibilities. “I approached it like I do all my films. But because this is my first straight Telugu film, and since the story demanded it, I had to adopt the Telugu culture, lifestyle and traditions,” he says.
It’s old news that heroism and the ‘height’ of the male hero sells like hot cakes in Telugu cinema, but Shankar doesn’t need to do anything special to elevate Ram Charan. “In all my films, the structure of the story naturally elevates the heroism; It was there in the script and when a star like Ram Charan comes, it falls into place. Charan, he says, has what he calls ‘pent-up explosive energy’. “His performance reflects this; Even when he says something subtly, you feel a power surging, ready to explode. He knows where to keep it low-key and how to unleash this energy when the scenes require it.
Ram Charan in a scene from ‘Game Changer’ Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
On grandeur, and why it oversteps its bounds
There is a common belief among fans that Shankar is giving priority to grandeur over story. The filmmaker argues otherwise. “The story comes first. Mere grandeur is useless. The story and visuals require grandeur.” He uses imagery from the song ‘Uppu Karuvadu’ Mudhalvan For example. “It was shot at a natural location near Theni, Tamil Nadu, and not on any film studio set or foreign location. We spent a lot on other songs in the film” – like building a path surrounded by pottery in ‘Azhagana Ratchasiye’, shooting the graphics-heavy ‘Mudhalavane’ in Delhi, or incorporating the five natural elements in ‘Kurukku Siruthavale’ – ” But when it comes to ‘Uppu Karuvadu’, the situation on paper seems simple: a Chief Minister, to avoid attracting the crowd, spends some time disguising himself. Takes this girlfriend in that beautiful colony. It had to be simple and organic; So we just went to see a corn field, crossandra bushes, a yellow shirt for him, and a Pavada-Dhavani For him.”
Over the years, Shankar has pioneered the use of modern technology in Indian cinema, constantly experimenting with cutting-edge advancements, efforts that may sometimes not have received due appreciation. Shankar says he never regrets pushing himself to do more. “With every film, the audience starts expecting more and I have to push myself to live up to those expectations. We must keep considering concepts and stories that can match all those high expectations. This is a bar that keeps rising.”
Kiara Advani and Ram Charan in a scene from ‘Game Changer’ Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Of course, much of what goes on behind the scenes of these tech-heavy films may go over the head of the average viewer. He adds, “We can use the promotion as an opportunity to make the audience aware of everything that went into its making,” crossing a fine line that could unnecessarily promote the film, he says.
Releasing behind-the-scenes footage of films is another strategy that Shankar uses to inform and prepare his audience. “Normally, the cameraman assigned for this would only shoot songs and fight sequences, or scenes featuring the stars. Sometimes they get impatient when a group of technicians are sitting around talking. I asked him to follow the production right from the discussion stage and take shots of what a technician and a visual effects supervisor were discussing. But Shankar says only a few minutes of those making-up videos can be put together and released on platforms, and says a film on filmmaking can’t accurately capture the emotions that go through that process. Will be able to catch. “So I wanted it to be a book. That’s why I asked Lakshmi Saravankumar to take a journey throughout the film, to see how we invest our emotions apart from money and hard work. I wanted her book to highlight all the downfalls we go through and how we recover from them, but unfortunately, that book has not been released yet.
On whether films can promote change
From his first film, 1993 gentleShankar incorporated whatever he observed in his early days into films, making politically charged social commentary his favorite school of cinema. Thus he naturally comes across as an artiste who believes that cinema can change people and it is his duty to convey the right message. “When I started learning filmmaking, I understood that a film needs to bring entertainment and purpose to a meeting point, and that’s what I’m trying to do.”
He mentions some examples which strengthen this view. “after manyMany people sent me messages that they were afraid of violating traffic rules. In indian 2For example, the idea was that change starts at home. There is a saying in Tamil: “Thirudanai parthu thirundhavittal, thiruttai ozhikka mudiyadhu.(Until the thief reforms himself, theft cannot end). The thieves don’t seem to be improving, but everyone has families. I thought maybe if they thought about their families, it might improve. Recently, in Chennai, an auto driver stole 10 pounds of gold from an elderly couple, but was beaten up by his son, taken to the police station and asked to return the jewelery to the victims. When people say that such incidents are the effect of this indian 2I feel happy.” Even though it’s a small percentage in the grand scheme of things, it serves the purpose of the film, he says. “I see these as seeds of change and I feel happy. It is felt.”
What’s going to happen next?
after game changerShankar ready to resume shooting for Kamal Haasan’s film Indian 3. But when he talks about his dream project you feel a surge of energy. velpariAdaptation of Tamil writer Su Venkatesan’s popular historical novel, ‘Veera Yuga Nayagan Velpari’. “I want to take my time to explore all my untouched sides with this project. The script has been worked on and it will be a three-part film. “It is a huge project that will require a big budget.”
Game Changer will be released in theaters on January 10.
published – January 06, 2025 03:19 PM IST
