If we talk about the content of Roberrt, it will lose value: Tharun Sudhir

Filmmaker-actor Tharun Sudhir was all set for the release of his second directorial, the Darshan-starrer Roberrt in April last year, when the pandemic played spoilsport. Almost a year later, the film is only days away from its release on an even bigger platform, with a Telugu version as well.
“The pandemic was something none of us were prepared for.Now, looking back, we realise that we have lost a good six months to a year to this uncertainty. But back then, all of us thought that everything would return to normal in a week or two. Roberrt was supposed to release in April 2020, so we thought July would be our next window. Then we planned for August 15, Ganesha Chaturti, and even Dasara, in the hope that things would get better. As a team, we were not disappointed. Since we had started promoting the film for its April release, and were looking at going full-steam in the run-up to it, we had to then figure out a way to keep the momentum going until we knew when we would be able to hit theatres, which we did, by releasing tid-bits at every festival. I believe we have been able to generate enough excitement,” he says.
But since the beginning, team Roberrt has been about keeping the mystery surrounding the film alive. Barring the few images, songs or the teaser, there’s nothing much in the public domain. Why so much secrecy? “As a filmmaker, I believe in setting the plot. For instance, when you sit down for a meal, there is a certain order to it; first the plantain leaf is laid out and salt is the first item served, followed by starters, etc. The main dish, rice, is the last to be served. How would it be if you were to start in the reverse order? Even if it is good, you tend to wonder why the order has not been followed. Cinema is also like that — there is backdrop, presentation, character building and then the plot opens up. If, say, one of the cast members says, ‘I play a doctor and the film is about the love story between my character and a teacher’, honestly, what excitement is left to see that movie? If we start talking about the content of the film, it loses value and people begin to interpret our words in their own way. Then, when they watch the film and things don’t go as expected, it may disappoint them. I don’t want people to make assumptions based on breadcrumbs laid out before the release. And it's not that we haven’t said anything at all. Audiences are aware of the genre and how it will be based on the teaser. The rest is the surprise for them,” says Tharun.
Tharun adds that Roberrt is unapologetically commercial, as far as the elements required for a movie in that genre require. “What maybe different is the role Darshan sir is playing, his approach to it or a new element altogether,” he says.
Making Roberrt, though, was quite a task for Tharun. “There was pressure, no doubt, because I was making a film with a superstar. The actor has a fan base and they have expectations, so, you need to find a balance between satisfying them and adding your creativity. It limits you, because you can’t experiment too much, as that may misfire, and yet you can’t churn out run-of-the-mill content. So, in this script, what I have done is to incorporate all the elements that his fans have come to expect and appreciate, with the addition of new elements that I believe will work well for him as an actor and the story. I am quite happy with the way it has turned out,” says the filmmaker.