AM Rathnam is sure that Hari Hara Veera Mallu will be seen as a thought-provoking movie. Set to be released in theatres on July 24th, the multi-lingual release is headlined by Pawan Kalyan.
In this interview, the seasoned producer talks about the movie's highlights. He confirms early shows on the night before the full-fledged release.
This is not the story of any particular historical figure. Hari Hara Veera Mallu is a completely imagined tale set against the backdrop of the 17th century. It's a creative, historical fiction — not a biopic. After watching this movie, I am confident that everyone will appreciate me. That's the kind of impact we believe this film will have. Recently, a novelist claimed that our movie is based on his novel. We are clear that this is a fictional story. 'Hari Hara' in the title indicates Vishnu and Shiva. Had the film been based on any novel, we would have taken the required rights.
We are planning to organize paid premieres for Hari Hara Veera Mallu. Once we receive the necessary permissions, we are hoping to announce 9:00 PM shows on July 23rd. This is because of the demand from the ground. Earlier, my plan was to go for 4 AM shows on the release date.
Hari Hara Veera Mallu didn't take too many shoot days. It's just that the time period and the scale of the story required more effort. That's what took time, not the number of shooting days. This is not the kind of film that can be shot at a stretch, given it involves larger-than-life sets and VFX. We have fine-tuned everything till the last moment. After the trailer release, the response has been great.
I have known Pawan Kalyan garu for many years. He is in politics because of his social consciousness. Take Kushi, for example. He brought a personality to his character Siddhu Siddhartha Roy although it was a love story. The Hindi song and the reference to freedom fighters were his ideas.
HHVM has been made for the audience. This is best watched with a positive approach. I have always made movies with the aim of conveying something positive through them. HHVM will provoke thoughts in the audience. Cinema is a visual medium. I strongly believe that films have the capacity to make people think. HHVM will do that.
Right from the start, we have released all promotional content in all languages, including Hindi. To me, HHVM is a responsibility. I am making sure it lives up to its self-identification. Pawan Kalyan garu's cooperation has been total. Without his support, we wouldn't have come this far.
My son, Jyothi Krishna, has surprised me after taking over the project from Krish Jagarlamudi. HHVM is a heavy subject. We don't know our own history. My son gave the Indiana Jones touch to the second half. He did the pre-viz thoroughly so that Kalyan garu's limited time on set could be made the best use of.
Cost of production has gone up several notches. The audience expect event films in theatres. If the ticket price is not hiked for such movies, commercial viability will take a hit. If ticket rates are controlled and kept low artificially, it will dismantle the Tollywood growth story. Cinema is not a necessity. It's natural that producers who have made highly expensive movies expect ticket rate hikes. At least on the first weekend, increased rates have to be there. On weekdays, normal prices can be maintained. Rates have to be variable, as is the case in some foreign countries. If ticket rates are kept artificially low, cinema halls will eventually become defunct. They have invested crores in setting them up.
