Thrilller is going to be one of its kind. It has a mixture of elements and audiences will get to see the worth of local talent. First, he tried his hands at marketing, then ventured into real estate, later became a theatre artist and now, he’s graduated to being a film-maker, producer and an actor. This is the man who invigorated the Hyderabadi culture with movies such as Angrez, Hyderabadi Nawabs, Fun and Masti and Thrilller (in the pipeline). So, if you haven’t guessed it right, it’s Ramakrishna (RK or mama as he’s known to his fans). Here’s the actor, unplugged.
How did you enter the entertainment industry? “I do not come from a family of actors. I’m here purely because of my destiny. I had to fight a lot of odds to get here,” he states.
So, how did it happen? “I gave the concept of Angrez. Then, a lot of team members got together and started working on Hyderabadi Nawabs. Aziz and I tied up and started writing the script. I get inspired by things happening around me. And, that’s how I worked out on our movies. It was all a team effort though,” he avers.
How did you strike a balance between producing and acting? The
multitasker says: “I’m a filmmaker, not a producer. I do have a co-producer, so things become a little easy. He looks after a lot of things for better distribution of work.”
So, is Utopia Entertainers well accepted by the public? “Of course! Audiences have given us tremendous response. We have become like the Salman, Shah Rukh and Chiranjeevi of Hyderabad,” he laughs as he makes his point.
Why concepts like Angrez or Hyderabadi Nawab? “All our concepts are in the backdrop of Hyderabad. We always wanted to reflect the Hyderabadi culture. Also, we wanted to give the local artistes an opportunity to showcase their talent.”
We have countless comedies. How do you think your movies stand out in that genre? “Yes! We have lot of films based on comedy. But, I don’t think anyone has ever made a film, which echoed the culture of Hyderabad. My goal is to see Hyderabadi films projected all over the world.”
Do you think the industry is short-lived? “It isn’t that way. But, we are still rusted with old ideas with no offences meant. I strongly believe that one day, world cinema will be ruled by the Indians. The next generation has to be given the platform.”
Your take on Tollywood? “The Telugu film industry gets in actors from Bollywood when there is so much of resource in our state. We need to use our local talent. I’ve always given an opportunity to local artistes. In our next movie - ThriLller, we have taken two new-comers.”
Tell us about Thrilller? “Well, it’s a unique combination where the subject is the hero. It has three Ls because it’s going to be something that one doesn’t like to experiment with. This movie has an essence of comedy, adventure and horror. Actually, it’s a bilingual film.” The movie is slated to hit the screens in a month’s time.
Finally, he signs off appealing to the film fraternity, the distributors et al to give due recognition to their work and contribute to making their dream of enlightening the culture of Hyderabad all over.
