Pushpa is up for a grand release this Friday. On this occasion, we caught up with the art director duo S Rama Krishna and Monika for a detailed interview. Here is the transcript.
What kind of brief did Sukumar give to you guys?
From day one, Sukumar sir clearly revealed that most of the film will be shot on sets and one should not make out which is a set and which one is a real-time location.
Tell us about the various sets laid for the film?
The film was shot on multiple sets at Sarathi, Ramoji Film City, Annapurna Studios, and Aluminium Factory. We erected a total of 29 sets in just two months and worked day and night to meet the deadline.
What kind of challenges did you face due to the pandemic?
Due to the pandemic, even a forest set was created. A waterfall was created at a bungalow in Jubilee Hills. The scene was to be shot in Kerala but we shifted it here. Looking at the sets, even Allu Arjun couldn’t make out which is real and which one was fake.
Working with the likes of Sukumar?
Sukumar sir is a genius and we got full freedom for Pushpa as it is our second film post Rangasthalam with him. If he likes someone’s work, he sticks to them and gives them ample scope and encouragement to be creative.
Pushpa’s look and color tone are great. Tell us about it?
Sukumar sir wanted different themes for each of the stars. So, the red theme was used for Allu Arjun, while the green and yellow themes were used for Rashmika.
Which was the most difficult set put up for Pushpa?
Undoubtedly the forest set. Recreating a natural forest was the biggest challenge we faced. So much detailing has gone into the set work that it is highly impossible to make out the difference. Getting permission to put up the sets in the forest was also a daunting task.
Finally about the producers?
A film like this cannot be backed by ordinary producers. Only the daring attitude of Mythri Movie Makers made this dream come true. So much money is spent on the sets and the grandeur that you see is only because of the liberty we got from our makers.