Ravi Teja-starrer ‘Disco Raja’ is a cocktail of ideas, says director Vi Anand


Telugu filmmaker discusses his new film set in the 80s, in which Ravi Teja plays a gangster who loves disco music

Disco Raja is releasing on the January 24 by which time the storm created by Sankranti biggies would have settle down. However, director Vi Anand says Disco Raja is an extended festival film.

The story is set in the 80s. Ravi Teja plays a gangster who loves disco music, is a fan of Mithun Chakraborty, and is full of attitude and swag. The crazy character gels with Ravi Teja’s body language and the energetic roles that he usually plays. “When I told him I have a script called ‘Disco Raja’, he let me narrate it. After Tiger released, he was one of the first actors who appreciated me. I always went for concept stories which are not his cup of tea. For this film which is a science fiction drama, he understood the balance between commerce and concept. He was looking for something different and I was at the right time and place,” says Anand.

Says Anand, “At the end of the day the film has to entertain. I tried a cocktail of different ideas and it tasted well, I thought people would enjoy it too. You won’t get stuck with the concept, you just move on. Yet, without the concept the film cannot exist, it won’t be exciting.”

Vi Anand  

There are three heroines in the story. Tanya Hope plays a scientist in a ‘re-live’ lab, a neurologist and scientist along with Sishir Sharma and Vennela Kishore. Nabha Natesh plays the hero’s current lover, a typical Delhi girl, vibrant and energetic. Payal Rajput plays Helen, she is the retro interest; the director made sure all had an arc and play a sensible part when they come at various stages in his life.

Bobby Simha also plays a powerful role that has a proper graph. The director describes him as a perfect choice. “Be it his appearance and subtlety, he suited the script to the hilt. Born and brought up in Chennai, he speaks Telugu but not like we speak in Hyderabad.”

Even Vennela Kishore’s presence has a logic, says Anand . “If I tell you the synopsis, I’d have to reveal everything so I can’t say anything.”

Ravi Teja loved being Disco Raja and enjoyed every moment on the sets, says Anand who also reveals that on Thaman’s suggestion, Ravi Teja even sang in the film. Art director Nagendran who had worked on Anand’s Okka Kshanam earlier delivered a good output, despite budget constraints. Apart from colour and sensibilities, he pleased the director with his logical explanations. For the retro shots, Anand who is an architect, gave him inputs about the flooring and other interiors. A good amount of research went into creating visuals that will transport people to an era and cinematographer Kartik Ghattamaneni added value. Anand’s last films have been good but this one got bigger budget wise and gave him more scope to express himself. The shoot took place in Goa, Iceland, Manali, Delhi and Hyderabad.

The retro number ‘Nuvvu natho yemannavo’ has already become popular. The film is basically not a love story, it is just a part but the director had a challenge to squeeze in the love element. He recalls, “I had to squeeze the part that the lead pair fall in love by the time the song ends. We recreated Ilayaraja’s retro magic and Thaman was in full form..Seetarama Sastry on his part, took it seriously and took a lot of time to understand the story and write. The butterfly on the poster indicates something important in the film.”

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