When you think of Ravi Babu, well made small budget thrillers come to mind. He has been creating a niche market for himself over the years and his latest film, ‘Avunu Part 2′, has hit the screens today. ‘Avunu’ was a big hit when it came out a few years ago. Can ‘Avunu Part 2′ repeat the magic?
Let us see what Ravi Babu has to say in this exclusive interview. We spoke to him and came away impressed.
RD : Your film posters use characters or themes that are not present in the film, like the elephant in ‘Avunu’ posters. Why do you do that?
Ravi Babu : Most people go to a movie based on the posters they see and the trailers they watch. On a wall, there maybe 10 or 12 different posters of films. When I drive by, I won’t be able to pay attention to all of them. So how can my film stand out? I design my posters in such a way that they stand out. It doesn’t matter if the characters are in the film or not. They will have a theme that is in common with the film. I never use a second poster.
If you keep using only one poster for the film, recall value will be higher.
RD : Is Avunu 2 a true sequel? Or will it have a new storyline with the old characters?
Ravi Babu : For the first time, the climax of the first part will be the opening scene of the second part. You don’t see that happening very often. There were a lot of questions that were unanswered when the first part ended. I want to answer all those questions and throw up new ones with this part. (Smiles)
RD : Did you write ‘Avunu’ with a two part series in mind? Or did you come up with the second part only because ‘Avunu’ became a big hit?
Ravi Babu : I always wanted to have a second part. But we wanted to do it only if ‘Avunu’ was well received . How to go about it was always a challenge, as most of the thrills were put into the first part. We had to come up with an entirely new idea, but one which is a continuation of the first part’s story.
RD : People had no expectations when ‘Avunu’ came in. Now, there is a certain buzz around ‘Avunu 2′. Do you think the film will live up?
Ravi Babu : No student can know what will come in the question paper. He or she can only prepare well. Similarly, no one knows what the audience will expect. I have prepared a film that I think will meet the expectations of people. I tried my best.
RD : Over the years, you have created a niche market for your films. Are you happy with this or do you want to move to mainstream commercial cinema?
Ravi Babu : I am very happy with where I am. I am one of the few lucky guys who gets to make the kind of films he wants to make, without succumbing to market compulsions etc. I take one film at a time. Who knows what tomorrow may bring.
RD : If given an opportunity, will you work with a big commercial star?
Ravi Babu : I don’t look at it that way. If my story doesn’t require a big star, I won’t approach one. But if my story needs a big star, I will pitch it to a star.
RD : Do you analyse your films post release?
Ravi Babu : To the best of God given knowledge, I would have put in my best efforts for the film. The script would have been thrashed out and whatever needs to be done would have been done. But when a film fails, movie lovers are not rejecting me as a filmmaker. They are rejecting the content that I have provided for their entertainment. So I have no regrets.
RD : What do you think happened with Laddu Babu?
Ravi Babu : The decision to make Laddu Babu like that was a conscious one. Looking back at Allari Naresh’s films, we realised that his biggest hits were spoofs or slapstick comedies. So we decided to narrate a meaningful story. We wanted to tell the story of a sad fat man. But we realised that people did not want a meaningful film from Naresh. We tried a chaplinesque kind of comedy, but it didn’t work as people did not want to see Naresh like that.
RD : Your films need to be spot on in terms of budgets, to become commercially viable. How do you plan your production?
Ravi Babu : Very true. When we plan a film, we budget it for the worst case scenario. We assume that no one wants to watch the film. So when we plan for that, we are safe. Even if no one sees the film, we might probably achieve a break even and we move on.
RD : How important is the satellite market for films like the ones you make?
Ravi Babu : It is very important. It is the only safety net we have. Very few people watch small films, so satellite rights can make or break a small film. Unfortunately, the satellite market is a little slow these days. Who wants to keep making films to lose money? You shouldn’t do that.
RD : You are a good actor. Why aren’t you acting in more films?
Ravi Babu : In my career, I must have rejected more films than I accepted. While it is true that I am busy with my own films, I am also not getting too many interesting roles. If given author backed roles, I will surely do them.
RD : Any plans to expand to the Tamil or Hindi markets?
Ravi Babu : I am a guy with average intelligence. I am still learning the ropes as a director in Telugu. So, once I am confident about my craft here, I may think about something else. But for now, I am here.
RD : What projects are you working on right now?
Ravi Babu : I am working on an action film right now. It is too early to reveal any details and things should be finalised in the next couple of weeks.
We said our good byes to Ravi Babu and wished him the very best for ‘Avunu 2′. We hope you enjoyed reading this interview. For the latest Telugu movie news, reviews and galleries, do check out news.releaseday.com
Interviewed by Mahesh S Koneru
