In his latest interview, director Gowtam Tinnanuri offers a rare look into his creative journey, sharing insights into Kingdom, which grossed Rs 82 Cr in four days. From the careful process of choosing a title to the deliberate casting of his actors (especially Vijay Deverakonda and Satyadev), he reveals the detailed thought that goes into his filmmaking. He also teases the audience with details about his Kingdom 2 and Music (his immediate next release).
Kingdom is one title that resonates across languages. I chose it after initially considering titles like Yuddha Kanda and Devara Nayaka. The latter was abandoned because Devara is a title that was already used by another film. I contemplate suitable titles while penning a script. Jersey was initially named 36.
It was a consensual decision to remove the song Hridayam Lopala (shot on Vijay and Bhagyashri Borse) from the final cut. The song, while thought to be necessary initially, was hindering the smoothness of the narration.
When I first pitched a storyline to Vijay, I told him it would be about two brothers against the backdrop of a gang. Two months later, I approached him with the 1920s track. That's how it all began. I didn't fully develop the script until I was clear about which actor was my hero.
The core strength of Kingdom lies in its emotional strength. The same goes for my previous films, Jersey and Malli Raava.
Venkitesh VP is a passionate actor whose name was suggested by an AD. Since Vijay's Suri storms into a new world, I wanted to cast an unfamiliar face for the character of Murugan. As for Satyadev, he was my first choice even while writing the script. Since he was busy with other projects, his onboarding didn't happen immediately.
A web film based on the characters Murugan and another character will happen before Kingdom 2.
Kingdom 2's storyline is already in my mind. The scripting needs to be done.
My next theatrical release will be Music. Anirudh’s music and Girish Gangadharan’s cinematography will be among its top-most highlights. I filmed it at a time when Kingdom was getting delayed.
