Director Parasuram Petla: Every frame in Sarkaru Vaari Paata has a director's voice, Mahesh Babu has adapted to my style well

The Solo, Geetha Govindam director opens up on accomplishing his dream to direct Mahesh Babu for Sarkaru Vaari Paata and how the star's Okkadu was a key reason behind his entry into the industry

Mahesh Babu and Parasuram

Director Parasuram Petla, who made his debut with Yuvatha and carved his niche as a filmmaker with Solo, Srirastu Subhamastu and more recently Geetha Govindam, is mighty pleased of what he's managed to do with Sarkaru Vaari Paata. He maintains that the essence of Sarkaru Vaari Paata wasn't tinkered with, despite the presence of a star like Mahesh Babu and thanks him for giving the freedom to tell the story the way he intended to. Wrapping up all pre-release formalities ahead of release, the filmmaker spoke to the media about the action entertainer that hits theatres tomorrow.

Confidence in the film:

Be it a small or a big film, the media has always been on my side and I'm very thankful to them for their support. Sarkaru Vaari Paata has a terrific buzz going for it and we'll satisfy everyone's expectations, be it fans, regular viewers or family audiences. Earlier in the day, we wrapped up all formalities for the final copy and thought of sharing our excitement with the fraternity too. Every one of us in the team, including the technicians, is immensely confident of the film's result at the box office.

Fulfilling the dream of working with Mahesh Babu:

Right from the day I joined the direction department (as an assistant), I had a dream of working with Mahesh Babu. I wanted a good film in his career to be directed by me; it was like ticking one item off my bucket list. However, I wanted to approach him only when I felt that I had reached an appropriate stage in my career. After the success of Geetha Govindam, I narrated him the story of Sarkaru Vaari Paata and he liked it instantly.

In terms of the characterisation, Mahesh Babu plays a very sensible role - this is very much my film as a writer and he (Mahesh) adapted himself according to my style. It's one of his career-best performances. Every family will identify with his character and they will feel like he's representing them. It doesn't deviate from my core strengths one witnessed in Solo and Geetha Govindam and will strike a chord with all kinds of audiences.

Improvising the script from time to time:

I gave Mahesh Babu a dialogue-based narration even before lockdown but the COVID-19 time helped me add more bite to the script. I, Thaman and Anantha Sriram worked hard on the music and the results are for everyone to see. The crux of the film has always remained the same though we made slight improvisations. It's an out-and-out entertainer made for Telugu audiences in terms of emotions - this was never intended to be a pan-Indian film. Sarkaru Vaari Paata would've shaped up differently had we envisioned it as a film to be released in multiple languages.

Political reference with the line 'Nenunnanu, Nenu Vinnanu':

The reference to Rajasekhar Reddy's line 'Nenunnanu, Nenu Vinnanu' has no political links whatsoever and is uttered on a funny note in the film. When I was an assistant director and politicians used to make huge speeches and grand promises, I was surprised that he created similar impact with simple words. The line somehow stayed with me over the years and found its way into the film.

Nothing common among Sarkaru Vaari Paata, Okkadu and Pokiri:

The film has no similarities to Okkadu or Pokiri. However, it was during Okkadu's release that I was discussing with my brother about the possibility of entering the industry. Watching Okkadu, I was convinced that I had to be a part of it. I later joined as an assistant to Puri Jagannadh though I wasn't part of the Pokiri team. It's impossible to recreate his performances again - Sarkaru Vaari Paata has a different vibe altogether. I met Mahesh later on the sets of Seethamma Vakitlo Sirimalle Chettu but couldn't talk to him. It was during my narration for Sarkaru Vaari Paata that I had a first proper meeting with him.

Contributions from the crew:

The reception for the film prior to the release is significantly decided by the music. Thaman is the backbone of Sarkaru Vaari Paata. Whenever a director is very clear with his story and what he wants to convey through the song, Thaman gives his best. Our combination worked out brilliantly now. Madhie, the cinematographer is the biggest asset of the film while editor Marthand K Venkatesh took care of the film like his own baby. The entire crew, my direction team, was committed to deliver a blockbuster.

The final word about Sarkaru Vaari Paata:

Sarkaru Vaari Paata is a complete entertainer, right from the way Mahesh Babu behaves to the way he talks and goes about his life. The film is equally entertaining in both its halves - I treated this as a single story and didn't want to divide the film as pre-interval/post-interval. The film is funny, emotional and intense, as per the needs of the script. Every frame in the film has a director's voice. Unlike most films where heroines are hired for the song-dance routine, Keerthy Suresh plays a key role in the film and the story revolves around her.

Moving onto Naga Chaitanya next:

I am next working on a film with Naga Chaitanya, produced by 14 Reels Plus. I will take a month's break after the release of Sarkaru Vaari Paata and start work on it. When I first narrated Sarkaru Vaari Paata to Mahesh, he was wrapping up the final schedule of Maharshi and already had Sarileru Neekevvaru to shoot. In the meanwhile, he asked me to work on another project and I narrated a story to Naga Chaitanya. Just when we were ready to take off, Mahesh felt we should start work on Sarkaru.. Naga Chaitanya was very sportive about it and agreed to it immediately.

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