Portraying reality on screen

Gandhinagar Grapevine

Most films by director Suri reflect reality and capture the essence of the happenings in society.

He always makes sure he gets the right mix of action, drama and romance in his projects. Suri also makes it a point to choose his cast carefully because he is particular that the characters he has conceived are portrayed with precision. In an interview with Nina C George, Suri talks about the making of ‘Doddmane Hudga.’

What’s the crux of the movie?

Parents advise children and this triggers a lot of misunderstanding in the family. This movie is steeped in reality and talks about issues that are visible in every family. The emotions and feelings have come naturally to every actor in the project because they relate to these issues.

You are known for your action-oriented projects...

I don’t want to be typecast.
I want to work on different subjects and experiment with as many characters as possible. I don’t want my films to be predictable with five actions scenes and two songs. I make sure all my projects have a soul and definite meaning.   

Do you feel you’ve struck the right combination in the film? 

The characters complement each other very well. Ambarish’s strong character in the movie is matched by Sumalatha’s soft nature. Radhika’s rebellious avatar is a perfect match to Puneeth’s role which has been conceptualised along the same lines. I’ve made sure that I got the combination right not only while I was working on the script but also while choosing the actors.

What was the main challenge in the project?
There are many father-son stories that have been made in almost all the language industries, so the main challenge was to narrate a familiar story in a different way. The actors that I have chosen are all veterans who have worked in countless projects and have a solid body of work behind them. Their experience has added to the charm of the project.

How did you come up with so many characters in ‘Doddmane Hudga’?

The story of ‘Doddmane Hudga’ was written with all these characters in mind. I also decided which actor would suit which character in the initial stages. Every character in the movie is important and has been put in there for a purpose. They can’t be viewed independently.   

How important is it to pay attention to the details when making a film?

It is important to get down to perfecting the smallest of details in a project because
the effort will be reflected on screen. Fine tuning the smallest details will go a long way in enhancing the overall feel of the project. Every character in my project is important to me.