Godfather Success Created Enthusiasm To Do More Diverse Roles: Megastar Chiranjeevi
Megastar Chiranjeevi's Godfather is going great guns at the box office. Jayam Mohan Raja made some excellent changes to make the remake (Lucifer) more appealing to the Telugu audience and it worked big time. Thaman has come up with an excellent background score which elevated the proceedings with Chiranjeevi's swag. Here are some excerpts of Chiranjeevi's interview with Press about the movie’s success.
You have seen many hits and blockbusters in your life. How special is Godfather's success?
I believe that cinema is a collective effort. Behind the success, there is a collective effort. That's why I don't think this victory is just mine. The last film that came out in April was a disappointment. Me and Charan gave away a huge amount to save the buyers. It has given me immense satisfaction. When I saw Lucifer, I thought that if I could do such roles and get acceptance, there would be an opportunity to do more diverse stories and roles. Charan Babu brought up the mention of Lucifer one day. Director Sukumar told me that Lucifer would be perfect for me if some changes are made. Sukumar gave the idea but was not available later (laughs). Later we had discussions with one or two directors. One day Charan Babu mentioned director Mohan Raja's name. Mohan Raja is the director who made Thani Oruvan brilliantly. I was fully confident that Mohan Raja will do justice to the Lucifer remake. It’s also a favorite subject of Mohan Raja. He said very enthusiastically that he would do it. He sat down with Satyanand and the whole team added many nice changes and made Godfather amazingly.
How did your friends from the industry react to Godfather?
Nagarjuna, Venkatesh... almost everyone called and spoke about the film. Almost the directors and friends expressed happiness by congratulating me.
There are no songs and dances, what is the response from the fans?
This is a powerful subject. There was no negative feedback that there were no songs and dances except that it would be good to do such subjects. When watching the movie, nobody would feel the absence of songs. The reason for this is Thaman. He brought life to the film with background music. Thaman's music is the reason why the action scenes give so high. He also suggested the film's title.
Aren't you afraid of making these changes from the original?
We have worked with the idea that any changes will make the film fresh and interesting. It is a political drama. I don't know if the political drama will be interesting or not. But there is a strong emotion. From the first day, we thought that there should be a political drama and another layer with brother and sister emotion being the main. In Malayalam, there is doubt about whether he is PKR’s own son or not. But in Godfather, we have made it very clear that he is his own son. Also, we have shown in detail why the sister hates her brother. The scene of Brahma making his sister the party president was interestingly conceived. Mohan Raja did all these changes brilliantly and ensured that the audience are hooked to the film. Making a remake movie is a challenge. A lot of comparisons would come up. Films like Gharana Mogudu and Tagore were also remakes but became hits. My characterization and presentation made a difference.
Satyadev, Puri Jagannath, Sarvadaman Banerjee roles are your choice?
We thought Sarvadaman Banerjee would be better if he played the role of CM. But he has been away from acting for a long time. He agreed to act as per my request. The role was amazing. Puri Jagannadh's role is also the same. When he was asked to play the role of a YouTuber in this, he was tensed at first. Later, he agreed. Satyadev is a very talented actor. I told him the story and asked him to do this role. He was shocked. He said, "If you ask me to do it, I will do it. Why are you telling me the story? Everything is blank for me."
He came up with a wow performance. His presentation helped the film a lot. Nayanthara is another attraction of this story. She has done very well. Mohan Raja said it would be better if Salman Khan does a cameo. Charan Babu spoke to Salman. Because of his love for us, he said okay without any second thought. "I am ready to act if Chiru Garu asks," he said.
Unlike your previous remakes, why didn’t you think of including songs in Godfather?
Audience tastes are changing with time. If there is a strong story, even without the songs and fights, a film can be enjoyed. Godfather has been designed according to this change. The audience is loving it. I think this is a good sign for more diverse stories and characters. I will try to do different stories and roles in the future as well.
Tell us about the roles you are doing in your next projects?
#Mega154 with Bobby is impressive as it has the full range of commercial elements expected from me. Also, Bhola Shankar also has great entertainment with good changes from the original.
How is it working with young directors?
Today's young directors have unlimited information. Learning new things is pretty much limitless. They also have ample opportunities to present what they want. I believe this combination is good for my image and the way they present it in a new way. That's why I prefer to travel with young directors.
Is there a chance of you acting with Pawan Kalyan?
I always want to do a film with my younger brother. He also wants to do the same. I am very excited to do a film together and waiting for the day.
Salman Khan has done Godfather, but if you get a chance from another industry, would you do it?
I will definitely do it. I want everyone to do it. It is my wish that the name 'Indian Cinema' should come without any linguistic or regional differences. I think the trend started with Baahubali, KGF, and RRR films. This is a good development.
