Vivek Athreya on 'Saripodhaa Sanivaaram': I didn't want my protagonist, Nani, to be a killer.

Celebrating the success of “Saripodhaa Sanivaaram,” writer-director Vivek Athreya discusses breaking free from tropes, avoiding violence, and inspirations ranging from Batman to Mani Ratnam.

The viewers of filmmaker Vivek Athreya’s Telugu film Saripodhaa Sanivaaram still find it to be really friendly in the second week. Vivek Athreya admits at his Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad office, “Post-release, I have been catching up on (lost) sleep and spending time with my seven-month-old son.” For the action entertainer starring Nani, SJ Suryah, and Priyanka Arul Mohan, he claims it was a race to the finish line.

Only twenty percent of the movie had been finished when the August 29 release date was set in February. Given that some of the filming had to take place outside, June and July were difficult. Originally scheduled to be shot over twelve days, weather caused twenty days to pass. There were various actors in the movie, thus juggling their several schedules proved difficult. Looking back, Vivek believes he could have polished a few sharp edges if only not for time limits.

Vivek Athreya on ‘Saripodhaa Sanivaaram’: I didn’t want my protagonist, Nani, to be a killer.

Looking at his prior films, Mental Madhilo, Brochevarevarura, and Ante Sundaraniki, many doubted he could create an action thriller. Along with family and social issues, Vivek finds Saripodhaa as a mirror of the star-led masala entertainment he had grown up loving.

Sidestep cliches

Vivek aimed to challenge a few stereotypes of popular cinema when he started penning Saripodhaa… about a protagonist educated by his mother to control his anger and an antagonist releasing his wrath on unsuspecting people.

Drama has always appealed to me. Writing Saripodhaa, I sought to create thrilling theatrical events while preserving the drama. Many viewers, for example, have enjoyed the clock-related twist in the pub scene. In a previous scenario, we gently point to the clock as Ajay Ghosh talks. Given the volume of material in the first sections, I understood the audience might overlook this element. It thus surprises us when a twist involving the youngster and the clock takes place.

Vivek made it quite obvious that he was looking for a restrained hero. “Sunday to Friday, he is a regular son to his father, a loving brother to his sister, and works as an insurance agent but on Saturday he bursts. The emotional anchor is the mother’s narrative (Abhirami as Chaya). A hero who could do anything and get away with it did not appeal to me. Nature chooses the day he may show his wrath, and that lays a strong basis.

The unresolved dialogue between mother and son shapes the development of the hero. “We often see anger in a negative connotation,” Vivek says. I reasoned that if one could direct anger, it may be useful. The hero discovers that rather than inspiring dread, nijamaina kopam—true anger—should give people hope.

Vivek sought to avoid the clichés of a rescuer hero. “The idea was to show that a vigilante hero could grow out of one among us.” Writing Nani’s character (Surya), Batman served as a reference point. Among the most grounded superheroes is he. He has to overcome his inadequacies and measure up even though he worries about bats.

The sister (Aditi Balan as Bhadra) in the later parts likewise fits somewhat closely to a stereotype that gets challenged. “In the first draft, I wanted the sister to be present at the climax as well. But Nani and I thought it would not make sense if the hero stayed mute while his sister—who he now regards as a mother figure—was being harassed. For the sister, we therefore decided on the hospital scenario.

The supporting cast

The ensemble, with Abhirami as the mother, Aditi Balan as the sister, and Sai Kumar as the father, provided the characters edge. “Abhirami was magical as the mother; I found it difficult to notice anybody else when she was on the screen,” Vivek advised her to wear a big bindi and loosely knot her hair. “I did not want to explain her ailment even if she was sick. Her kids only know the mother as a healthy woman who never displayed her sensitive side.

Although Abhirami is shown as a strong mother who opposes domestic violence, Sankaram’s inspiration for the father’s character came from Kamal Haasan’s performance in Mahanadi. “Sai Kumar is always doing something in this movie: preparing dosas, organizing clothing and vessels, or monitoring his son’s behavior to prevent problems. My brief to Sai Kumar was that the father’s role shouldn’t carry the suffering of the mother’s absence. Sai Kumar portrayed a worried parent and delivered the amusing lines rather brilliantly.

Avoid the flashback

According to Vivek, he wanted S.J. Suryah to be an erratic villain without straying too far. The Sathankulam event in Tamil Nadu involving police custodial deaths set off the character. The most significant and complex character in the movie is Daya (SJ Suryah). Even when he is battered, he can inspire terror. Turning into a monster in Sokulapalem, he tells his brother Kurmanand (Murali Sharma) a funny equation. I had to find a balance between frightening Daya and making it interesting.
We liked the opening sequence of the villain, which surprisingly reveals his background. Vivek wanted to steer clear of a flashback. “I liked penning that scene as well as the brother’s coffee-tea tug of war.”

A study in contrast the protagonist and opponent. Both have brother problems and wrath. While his family helps the hero control his emotions, the antagonist’s fury causes damage.

Surya and Thalapathi

Ask Vivek does Mani Ratnam’s Thalapathi’s undercurrent of wrath and inspiration for the protagonist Surya inspires him. He smiles in agreement. “I wanted to call one of my heroes Surya a constant name. That is a rather strong name. I even gave the villain Deva (Mammootty in Thalapathi some thought.

Regarding the mother’s influence and a piece of her red sari still with the hero, Vivek says, “In each frame where the mother is present, there is an element of red, which eventually is extended to Surya. On Daya, we utilized dark green; on Kurmanand, pastel greens.

The names Surya, Bhadra, Chaya (mother), and Sankaram (father) also pay homage to the family of Sun God.

Another homage to Mani Ratnam’s Kannathil Muthamittal is a childhood scenario involving the mother and boy on a sandy beach, seated on a wooden log. “It was absolutely a reference point,” Vivek notes. “Some of those pictures made me want to be a director.”

No brutality, please

Unlike modern action stars typified by extreme violence, Vivek claims he did not want his protagonist and the Sokulapalem people to turn out as killers. In another scene, he refrained from showing the heroine being slapped by Daya; he also refrained from showing a close-up view of a toddler falling over a knife (Kathi Peeta). “It was enough to indicate the impact without clearly displaying the violence.”

Talking about the performances, Vivek notes the team understood SJ Suryah had the part replete with histrionics, author-backed. The objective for Nani was to keep it understated and burst just in pivotal times. “I wanted my hero to refer to the tale of how Krishna and Satyabhama came together to slay Narakasura, instead of clenching his fist to control his anger.” Later, this is also reversed to inspire people to oppose evil instead of searching for a savior.

Writing an action drama with multiple characters and subplots, says Vivek, requires a good bit of editing to control the length. “I wonder occasionally why I handle so many layers. Still, that is what distinguishes the story.

Particularly following Vivek and Nani’s earlier partnership Ante Sundaraniki, which earned critical praise but did not set the box office ablaze, the box office success has resulted forth optimism. “Nani said Saripodhaa’s success confirms our teamwork for Ante…” and I agree. Some people claim today they preferred Ante to Saripodhaa. Similarly, some people preferred Mental Madhilo above Broche. These points of view will surely exist. The climax of Saripodhaa might have been better. Using Ante’s script, I don’t have such problems.

Currently on a hiatus, Vivek will reveal his next movie. He and Nani intend to work once more, this time on a fully-fledged comedy film.