Much anticipated biggie Bro starring Powerstar Pawan Kalyan and Sai Dharam Tej, is up for a grand release on July 28. People Media Factory, one of the leading production houses in Telugu cinema, bankrolled this film in association with ZEE Studios. Samuthirakani directed the film, while Trivikram penned the screenplay and dialogues. We had a brief interaction with Priya Prakash Varrier, who played one of the female leads, opened up about her experience working with Powerstar and about her character. Here is the transcript.
How did you land on the project?
I enjoyed watching the original version, i.e., Vinodhaya Sitham. When the director called me, I gave the look test, but there was no update after that. I thought I was not part of the movie, but they called me up at the beginning of the year and told me that I was part of the film. I feel honored to have shared the screen space with a star like Pawan Kalyan Garu. There is this aura in him, and I can’t describe it. It was fun seeing him work on the sets.
Could you tell us more about your character?
I played Veena, who is a simple and homely girl. My look will be very different from what audiences have seen me on the screen till now. I have combination scenes with both Pawan Kalyan and Sai Dharam Tej. Who is my love interest? What prominence does my character have in the story? These things should be known on the big screens.
You shot to fame with just one wink. Do you regret making choices in movies post that stardom?
I come from a family with no film background. I have had nobody to guide me. What happened after that one wink was that too many people around me started to tell me too many things. I didn’t know what to follow and what not to do. Yes, I might have made some mistakes and bad choices. I think after four to five years, I am making the right choices and improving myself.
Could you tell us about your character’s arc? Did you take any references from the original work?
Compared to the original, the makers made a lot of improvisations in Bro. The film’s scale has changed, and the movie’s duration is more than the Tamil version. Changes are made according to Kalyan Garu’s performance. So eventually, we have more sequences than the original film. I can’t reveal my role’s duration, but you keep finding me throughout the film here and there.
Did you interact with Pawan Kalyan Garu on the sets of Bro?
No, not much, actually. My interaction with him was a small gesture ‘namaste.’ Because I was so nervous and always there used to be five people around him. One small mistake I made was I sat on the chair that was meant for Kalyan Garu unknowingly. When he arrived, I was a bit panicked. Later everything went smoothly.
Tell us about your work experience with director Samuthirakani.
Samuthirakani sir knows exactly what he wants and has a lot of conviction. Only if he is 200% sure of his actors, he will go ahead with the project. He just comes and tells us what we need to do, and we would deliver exactly what he is asking for. We don’t have to improvise – nothing more and nothing less.
How was your working experience with Sai Dharam Tej?
My chemistry with Tej was definitely a different experience. We developed a good bond on the sets and always pulled each other’s legs. Tej would make fun of me, and he was that naughty child on the sets. He had a lot of time to spend and chat on the sets.