'Gam Gam Ganesha', as per Anand Deverakonda, is a comedy entertainer with twists and turns, and unique characterizations. Ahead of the film's theatrical release on May 31, he says that the kind of comedy is situational in nature. He also talks about the film's strengths at length.
Directed by Uday Shetty, the film is produced by Kedar Selagamsetty and Vamsi Karumanchi.
After 'Middle Class Melodies', I was unsure about the kind of films I wanted to do. The pandemic was unending. 'Baby' and 'GGG' were listened to in quick succession. 'GGG' is a crime comedy. When I watched 'Swamy Ra Ra', I wondered why not many such genre films are made in Telugu. Crime comedy that has so much scope for unique characterizations remains under-explored in Tollywood.
The second half of 'GGG' takes place in the backdrop of Vinayaka Chavithi festivities. A temple set was erected. The original plan was to complete the film within a budget of Rs 7 Cr. However, due to heavy rains, the temple set got damaged. Despite the setback, the producers persisted. They didn't compromise on set. They were supposed to do a film with my brother and director Sukumar garu. That has been postponed and my project took off.
The story revolves around a Vinayaka statue. Greedy men with evil intentions swarm around in search of a prized possession. While there are crime comedies where valuable idols are the focus, our film is different. There is also a political sub-plot. Fear, conspiracy and greed are the three themes around which the story revolves. The characters have grey shades. While the film is dominated by male characters, the two females, too, take the story forward.
Chaitan Bharadwaj is a very talented music director. His RR is of high quality for 'GGG'. I hope he becomes Telugu cinema's Anirudh.
After a blockbuster like 'Baby', many have asked me why I can't do a hero-centric film. 'GGG' is that film. This is the first time that I am not a boy-next-door. He is capable of a range of emotions. While his self-image is that of a hero, he doesn't behave like one. Although our director is a debutant, his execution is superb. He has handled 15 characters with versatility. This is a family entertainer that even kids will enjoy. This is the first such film this year since 'HanuMan' to be enjoyed by kids as well. There is a character named Rudra in the movie. Even he has been lapped up by the audience. 'Jabardasth' Emmanuel and Lord Vinayaka are also impactful characters. The latter is a puppet master although he has no dialogues.
We had a private screening for families and students the other day. The whole auditorium enjoyed a lot. Our confidence has only got boosted. This film is apt for a communal experience. It's not an easy ask to impress the audience with your comedy. I participated in acting workshops to figure out the acting 'meter'. My behaviour was real in 'Middle Class Melodies' and 'Pushpaka Vimanam'. In 'GGG', my behaviour is over-the-top.
I didn't get to dance much until 'GGG'. 'Baby' presented some opportunity but the treatment was different there. In 'GGG', I have got to dance for the first time. The treatment is cinematic and the characterization is over-the-top. My brother (Vijay) has always pushed me to practice dancing. As a child, I used to imitate dances by heroes. My father used to tell me I have grace!
'Baby' was a universal subject. That's why it grossed Rs 100 Cr. But it is not realistic to expect my next film to gross Rs 110 Cr. Every film has a range. In the case of 'GGG', we have certain parameters to measure the success. The budget itself is not huge.
I am doing 'Duet', a love story with a Gautam Menon-type treatment. I will also reunite with 'Baby' director Sai Rajesh. I am also doing a film with a former associate of AR Murugadoss. My film with Sithara Entertainments is directed by Vinod Anantoju. It will be in the space of 'Karnan' and 'Asuran'.
At the start of his career, Dhanush sir used to play underdog characters. After building an image, he suddenly played a gangster. That film became successful and made him a hero.
