Our films are escapist: Nagarjuna

This is how tech savvy I am,��������� says actor Nagarjuna as he flashes one of his mobile phones ��������� quite an outdated model in today���������s time to say the least. With no flashy gadgets to distract him, the actor goes about his business, shooting for ���������Raj Anna��������� with passion and intensity.
Despite a hectic schedule, the superstar is all charm as he sits down for a tete-e-tete with TOI.Excerpts.
Your last release ��������� ���������Ragada��������� ��������� came at a time when the industry badly needed a hit. Do you feel the pressure now going in with ���������Gaganam���������?
Not really. We went into the movie knowing that it was going to be different and can���������t be compared to other movies. As far as the production aspect is concerned, we decided to make it a bilingual (Tamil and Telugu) to make sure we break even because we didn���������t go overboard with the budgeting. So, in that sense I���������m not really feeling the pressure.
Your film will draw the audience in the opening weekend. The litmus test begins Monday onwards...
True. That���������s why I���������m constantly telling the audience not to expect me to sing or dance this time because I don���������t even have a heroine opposite me to romance. I don���������t want to mislead my audience, so I���������m asking them to come minus any expectations. And if they do that, then I promise them they are going to have a good time.
But why make a film on the Kandahar hijacking now after so many years?
You know, contrary to what���������s being reported, this film is not based on the Kandahar hijacking. Yes, the basic premise might be taken from that but it���������s not the same. Our film is about what happened inside the flight and why the government took three days to come to a decision. 26/11 is still fresh in every Indian���������s mind and as an actor and human being, I was able to connect well with the subject of the film. Though my character is that of a toughie, there were many questions in my mind and I channeled all of that and the anger into the role. This is my attempt at doing something different, so I put everything into it.
Are you deliberately trying to break the stereotype and move into new cinematic space?
My last film ���������Ragada��������� is a commercially successful film. But critically it���������s nothing new. I wanted to make a different film like ���������Gaganam��������� because I think it���������s an investment for my future. I want to go beyond the formulae, want to try a different genre ��������� something that I have never done before. As an actor I can���������t keep doing films like ���������Ragada��������� all my life. I have to move on. I���������m trying hard to chart a path like Amitji (Amitabh Bachchan) ���������gradually moving to character driven films. Movies like ���������A Wednesday��������� worked with stars like Anupam Kher and Nasseruddin Shah at the helm because they banked heavily on script and characterization. That���������s what I���������m trying to do.
So, how important is it to make films you want to do rather than what the audience expects to see?
I want to do different films. I only hope that the audience likes it too. If they don���������t like the different genres, then there���������s no point in making such movies. Look, the final reward is when the audience appreciates your work. I���������m not the kind to make different films just for myself and keep them at home.
Are you ready to put money where risk is involved, but creative satisfaction is guaranteed?
Absolutely. In fact, the film I���������m shooting for, ���������Raj Anna��������� is something I have never attempted before. The reason I���������m doing it is because someone has to make the effort to try something new. If the audience doesn���������t like it, that means I have failed to convince them. But having said that, if the audience continues to reject the ���������different��������� stuff, rest assured I am not going to make them anymore. But I won���������t give up without a fight. Last year was bad for us (Tollywood) as we lost so much money. Rising budgets is a big issue here. And that���������s totally due to inefficiency because we are going beyond the business model of Andhra Pradesh. Commonsense should prevail and most importantly scripts should be locked a year before shooting begins.
So have you taken a pay cut?
All of us have taken a pay cut. And I have no ego admitting that I have lost 40 per cent of what I normally charge. I have to get my movie released and that���������s what matters. I���������ve learnt from my mistakes.
Tollywood has lots of star-power and money. But at the national stage, the films fail to make a splash.
Tollywood does not make films for the cerebral. And for national awards, you need to make such films. Most national awards go to states like Kerala where the literacy rate is almost 100 per cent. Our films are escapist. People here keep their brains at home and come to the theatres. We are not looking for awards at the national stage. I���������m not the kind to sit in Delhi and lobby for my film. I did receive a national award for ���������Gitanjali��������� so I know what sort of lobbying it takes to get the right people to watch your film. My reward is when my people love my film. I���������m a ���������Dabangg��������� star and love making such films, why pretend?
2010 was a good year for your son, Naga Chaitanya as well. He had a hit with ���������Ye Maaya Chesave���������.
My son has a mind of his own and he loves the kind of cinema he does. After ���������Ye Maaya Chesave���������, people call him an actor and not star. That���������s good, because he should establish himself as an actor first and then concentrate on becoming a star. The two of us are like friends who criticize each other���������s works. Though I try to be all cool in front of him, my parental instinct kicks in when he���������s in trouble (laughs). In fact, I feel the Friday jitters more when his films release as compared to mine.
Your father ANR recently received the Padma Vibhushan. Considering his body of work, do you think it came too late in the day?
Oh! No. In fact all of us at home agree that it came at the right time. The man is 86-years-old and has the energy of a teenager. I think the award came at the right time. And dad���������s got the energy boost to keep working for the next 20 years.
You are one of the few superstars who first went on a micro-blogging site, whereas your contemporaries have stayed away.
It���������s an incredible marketing tool to reach out to the people who love watching you. At this age and time of promotional biz, it would be silly not to hop on the bus. This whole inaccessible aura after a point becomes redundant if you don���������t connect with the audience. Plus, there���������s nothing to worry about because I don���������t make controversial statements like Ram Gopal Varma (laughs).
Don���������t you want to slow down a bit and have one release a year?
Well, I did that two years ago and then I realized that I like coming back to the sets. Success always gives you that push and makes you want to get back under the arc-lights as soon as possible.
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