New-age filmmaker Tharun Bhascker is now coming up with a crime comedy-drama, Keedaa Cola. The movie is all set for a grand release on November 3, 2023. Brahmanandam, Chaitanya Rao, Rag Mayur, Vishnu Oi, Raghu Ram, Jeevan Kumar, and Tharun Bhascker played pivotal roles. Vivek Sudhanshu, Saikrishna Gadwal, Srinivas Kaushik, Sripad Nandiraj, and Upendra Varma produced it. Ahead of the release, we had a brief interaction with the director, and here is the transcript.
How did the project start?
During lockdown, people earned money in different ways, and I found it funny. If a cooldrink gets adulterated with some insect, we can file a case in the consumer forum. For me, this idea was very exciting. Crime comedy is my favorite genre. So I gave it a try.
What’s the reason for casting Brahmanandam Garu?
To be frank, I didn’t have that thought. A few directors have a misconception that seniors won’t work with them. We hear many things about them, but the situation would be entirely different when we meet them in person.
Casting is relatively difficult for these kinds of films. Can you talk about it?
I am sure that everybody can act well. I believe in it strongly. I conduct auditions for my films, and I am proud of my selection process. A few decisions were made keeping in view the market aspect.
You spoke confidently in the pre-release event. You said you wanted to entertain the audience in a new way. How did you get that thought?
I am confident about the film. When I started the film journey with my friends, we were clear about the consequences. I was confident about Ee Nagaraniki Emaindi, too, but I couldn’t say it back then. When I saw the preview, I believed the film would be worth the audience’s money.
There was some criticism for Ee Nagaraniki Emaindi. Did you think about critics while penning Keedaa Cola’s story?
There will always be criticism, no matter what. I am happy doing what I like. I genuinely want to make people laugh. When everyone enjoys the film, then I am successful. I want my assistant directors, driver, and everyone to enjoy the movie.
You were supposed to do a film with Venkatesh Garu. What happened to that project?
It’s a very interesting project. I wasn’t fully satisfied with the ending from the writing perspective. Suresh Babu sir was okay with it, but I wasn’t ready. Now I am ready. Based on Keedaa Cola’s result, I will plan accordingly.
The film is just 2 hours long. Why is it so?
When I wrote the script, it was for 2 hours and 20 minutes. The length was same even after the completion of the shoot. I trimmed down almost 15 minutes. Crime comedy films need to be fast-paced, and we are happy with the length.