Meher Ramesh donned the director’s hat after a long time with the film Bholaa Shankar. Starring Megastar Chiranjeevi, Tamannaah Bhatia, and Keerthy Suresh in the lead roles, the movie is produced by Ramabrahmam Sunkara of AK Entertainments. Mahati Swara Sagar composed the tunes for this flick. Ahead of the release, we had a brief interaction with Meher Ramesh, and here is the transcript.
How was your feeling as you directed a film after a very long period?
Bholaa Shankar shoot started in 2021. On the very first day of the shoot, we shot those portions which were seen in the teaser and trailer. There were 700 junior artists on the set. Generally, such scenes will be shot at a later stage, but as it is Megastar’s film, we had a mega start. Doing a movie with Megastar Garu is my dream, and I am living it. Directing Megastar Chiranjeevi Garu’s film is my biggest achievement.
What made you remake Vedhalam?
Even though there is a lot of advancement that has been happening around us, the sentiments and emotions remain the same. Brother-sister bond is the main reason we chose to remake Vedhalam. Also, the film talks about women trafficking. We took the core point of Vedhalam and made many changes for Bholaa Shankar.
Did you have any creative disagreements during the shoot? If yes, how did you sort it out?
He clearly understands what directors expect from him. Chiranjeevi Garu will get into the shoes of a particular character very quickly. So there won’t be many issues while we do a film with Megastar Garu.
How safe is it to remake a film in this day and age?
Billa’s story is not new, and it was made in several languages, but what made Billa unique was its treatment. While doing a film with Chiru Garu, the story should suit his image. Hence I chose Vedhalam and polished it. At the end of the day, what matters is whether or not the film is entertaining. Bholaa Shankar will have Chiru sir’s mark entertainment.
Why not Pawan Kalyan sir? What made you choose Chiranjeevi Garu for the project?
I visualized only Megastar Chiranjeevi Garu when I decided to remake Vedhalam. Pawan Kalyan Garu started the Vedhalam project with AM Ratnam Garu, and it was shelved. I feel it got canceled so that I could direct Megastar Garu with that script.
What made you cast Keerthy Suresh as Chiru Garu’s sister?
We needed a great actress like Keerthy beside Chiru Garu. I thought she wouldn’t do the project initially. I should thank Swapna Dutt due, to whom I was able to narrate the story to Keerthy. I personally don’t know her. She got emotional during my narration, and she immediately gave her nod.
To what extent do you think Bholaa Shankar will succeed?
The USP of the film is sister sentiment. Bholaa Shankar will have more dosage of entertainment than Waltair Veerayya. The emotions also will be stronger. Definitely, Bholaa Shankar will entertain the majority of the audience.
