Under the presentation of Bathula Saraswathi and the banner of Kalyan Productions, Bathula Koteswara Rao is producing the upcoming film Purushaha. With this movie, Pavan Kalyan Bathula is making his debut as a hero, while it is directed by Veeru Vulavala. The cast includes Pavan Kalyan, Sapthagiri, Kasireddy Raj Kumar, Rayancha Kokkura, Vishika, and Hasini Sudheer in key roles. The movie is scheduled for release on May 22nd. So far, the posters, songs, glimpses, and teaser have successfully created strong curiosity among the audience. As part of the promotions, director Veeru Vulavala shared several interesting details with the media.
Tell us about your background:
I’ve always been fond of painting. As a kid, I used to paint pictures of heroes on cloth, and those paintings would be displayed in front of theatres. Later, I pursued Bachelor of Fine Arts. No matter what I did, I always wanted to be part of the film industry. During that time, I wrote and designed the title for Kotha Bangaru Lokam. Since then, I have written and designed over 350 film titles for stars including Chiranjeevi garu and Pavan Kalyan garu.
How did the producer get convinced? What was his reaction after hearing the story?
While I was going around narrating this story, I got the opportunity to work in the direction team of Masooda, which became a successful film. I worked very seriously for about three months and narrated the story to many people. Eventually, it reached Koteswara Rao garu. I told him clearly that although the main plot revolves around Govind (Pavan Kalyan) and Kamala (Rayancha)’s love story, the film also has many strong supporting characters. He really liked the story. He felt that only with a subject like this his son could reach family audiences, and immediately gave his approval.
Tell us about the producer’s support:
Producer Koteswara Rao garu never questioned us even once about anything during the making. At every stage, he encouraged us wholeheartedly. His daughter Saraswathi garu took great care of the entire team on set every single day. With their support, I was able to make the film so well. After watching the final cut, Koteswara Rao garu held me and cried. He said, “This is my 26-year dream,” and became emotional.
What are the characters in Purushaha like?
Pavan Kalyan will be seen as a good-hearted man who can go to any extent for love. The roles played by Sapthagiri and Kasireddy offer solid entertainment. Especially the dialogues written for Kasireddy’s character will leave the audience in splits. There are many interesting roles played by VTV Ganesh, Anantha Sriram, and Vennela Kishore. Every character has something memorable. There’s an episode involving Vennela Kishore near a window- audiences will laugh uncontrollably in theatres. The surprise moment in that episode is something you’ll enjoy only when you watch it. That “window episode” is one of the major highlights of the film.
How did the story of Purushaha originate?
I struggled for opportunities and travelled to many places. I first worked as an assistant director for Gautham Tinnanuri garu in Malli Raava. I sketched every frame of that movie, and the film was a big success. That’s when my journey with Gautham garu began, and I later worked on Jersey as well. While working on Jersey, the core idea of Purushaha struck me. The story started with the thought: “Among all men, only a few are truly noble.”
What kind of film is Purushaha going to be?
I initially wanted to write a story centered around a married couple. We’ve seen many female-oriented films, but I wanted to make a male-oriented story. I wondered if such a genre even existed. That’s how I developed the script. I narrated it to many people, and with every rejection, I made improvements. The film progresses in a completely entertaining manner.
Did you start shooting immediately, or did you conduct workshops?
Pavan Kalyan is a new actor. He trained under Satyanand garu. But we didn’t jump into shooting right away. We conducted workshops for nearly two months. Only after that we begin shooting. We shot the film for 51 days, mostly in Kakinada.
Tell us about the technical team of Purushaha:
Cinematographer Satheesh garu is the reason I met the producer. I have known him since Malli Raava. We shot almost entirely in natural locations. The film has six songs, each one unique. I’ve known music director Shravan garu since Malli Raava as well; he has given us beautiful songs along with an exceptional background score. Everyone on the team supported me immensely.
Finally, what would you like to say about Purushaha?
I already have stories ready in the action, fantasy, and thriller genres. Even Purushaha contains elements of horror, thriller, and action in certain parts. It is a film made to appeal to all sections of the audience. It is a movie you can definitely watch together with your family.
