Ahead of GodFather’s release on October 5, the cast and crew held a press interaction in Hyderabad. Actors Chiranjeevi and Satyadev, director Mohan Raja, producers RB Choudary and NV Prasad attended the event. Here are excerpts from the Q&A session.
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What made you say yes to Lucifer’s remake?
GodFather has political drama and family sentiments. The team conceived everything pretty well.
Tell us about the challenges that you experienced while shooting for GodFather.
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Every story will have a soul, and we should be able to connect to it. If we can connect to that core, we can almost predict the future of the film. I never try to perform based on how a character (in the original film) performs. I will take the core from the (original) movie and look at it as a new subject to perform in new ways with the help of the director and technicians.
The film’s director Mohan Raja, antagonist Satyadev, and dialogue writer Lakshmi Bhoopal are your fans. How was it working with them?
It’s an opportunity given by God. I planned nothing. All of it happened organically. I also feel it’s a great advantage because they know how to showcase me on the screen.
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Tell us how Salman Khan’s presence will help GodFather.
When we thought of having a big person, Salman Khan came to our minds. When we approached him for a character, he agreed to do it. He is a great star.
Your dialogue from GodFather has gone viral. What kind of reactions are you expecting after the film’s release?
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We had no intension of making this film based on contemporary politics. The dialogues were written according to the flow of the story.
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Nagarjuna’s The Ghost and your GodFather are releasing on the same day. What is your take on it?
We feel it is going to a feast. If audiences allow us to have a good meal, we will enjoy it.
Your fandom remains intact even after so many decades. How do you see it?
I had a doubt during my comeback film (150th movie) after my political stint. I thought ‘Will there be still any affection for me (from the fans)? How long will it stay?’ But when we held the pre-release event of my 150th film in Bejawada, I was overwhelmed with the huge crowd in attendance. The audience is still treating me like their family member. Their affection for me is not just about movies but more than that. It has remained intact.
At a time when Telugu cinema is making waves across India and the world, is doing a remake the correct decision?
I wonder why many look at remaking a movie differently. Remaking a film is a more challenging task than doing an original story. Many of my remakes have earned more than their originals, and my characters in those films have brought me great appreciation.
