In a special chat with the media, director Boyapati Sreenu has said that he is very happy and satisfied with Dammu's success. The film, he says, has been attracting family audiences in large numbers. He used the opportunity to reaffirm his style of film making. Saying that Dammu is not a violent film, he explains the rationale behind not killing Nassar in the end.
Excerpts:
"The reason why I have called for a meet with media is to tell them that Dammu is still running high in its 5th week. NTR's fans and family audiences alike have made this a big hit. The footfalls have been undwindled. Despite the IPL and some new releases, our film has not been affected. There was a quality piracy copy out in the very first week. But, even piracy has not been able to create a dent in the BO run. In these times of piracy when whole villages watch a film on pirated copies, we should forget about 100 days. The number of theatres in which a big film is released determines how soon we recoup the budget.
"For any film, the initial push is given by the fans in the first two weeks. Then, it is the family audiences who should watch our film.
"If you ask me, it requires concerted efforts on the part of the film industry to stem the scourge of piracy. We make pleas on stags, but that's all. Only Shyam Prasad Reddy garu could stop piracy for two weeks (Arundhati). It is true that we could spend a part of the budget, say Rs. 0.50-1.0 cr. on curbing piracy but to sustain the momentum, we require focussed action.
"NTR's fans have complained to me that there is not enough violence in Dammu. In their opinion, the hero should have killed Nassar (villain) in the end. However, I felt that the hero's purpose was to end war, not eliminate the enemy. His agenda was to end enmity. There is no truth in the opinion held by some that Dammu is a violent movie. It is an intense, action flick. I will never make a violent movie. For me, a scene is borne out of the story. I made NTR's character run away from the situation (before the interval) just to establish his character. Only in the second half does he realize the gravity of the situation and that's when he wields the sword. That's how much I was true to my story. I never commit the folly of forcing something down the script's throat. If people are still watching Badra and Simha on television, it is because they don't see unwelcome violence in it.
"The reason why the family audience have liked the film is because of the story. The maturity levels shown by NTR, the connect he establishes with the sisters, the mother, all worked in the film's favour. I was helped by the producers (KS Rama Rao and Alexander Vallabha), who never compromised anywhere.
"Dammu has by far been the highest grosser in NTR's career. We are very happy with the way the film has been received across the State. NTR's look has been especially liked by one and all. We worked on the look for one whole day at NTR's residence. I wanted a look that portrayed both power and royalty.
"I will definitely make films in different genres. I think I can make good love stories that will connect to the family audience. I will do it in the coming years.
"I will talk about my next film after 10 days. I am working on the script."
"For any film, the initial push is given by the fans in the first two weeks. Then, it is the family audiences who should watch our film.
"If you ask me, it requires concerted efforts on the part of the film industry to stem the scourge of piracy. We make pleas on stags, but that's all. Only Shyam Prasad Reddy garu could stop piracy for two weeks (Arundhati). It is true that we could spend a part of the budget, say Rs. 0.50-1.0 cr. on curbing piracy but to sustain the momentum, we require focussed action.
"NTR's fans have complained to me that there is not enough violence in Dammu. In their opinion, the hero should have killed Nassar (villain) in the end. However, I felt that the hero's purpose was to end war, not eliminate the enemy. His agenda was to end enmity. There is no truth in the opinion held by some that Dammu is a violent movie. It is an intense, action flick. I will never make a violent movie. For me, a scene is borne out of the story. I made NTR's character run away from the situation (before the interval) just to establish his character. Only in the second half does he realize the gravity of the situation and that's when he wields the sword. That's how much I was true to my story. I never commit the folly of forcing something down the script's throat. If people are still watching Badra and Simha on television, it is because they don't see unwelcome violence in it.
"The reason why the family audience have liked the film is because of the story. The maturity levels shown by NTR, the connect he establishes with the sisters, the mother, all worked in the film's favour. I was helped by the producers (KS Rama Rao and Alexander Vallabha), who never compromised anywhere.
"Dammu has by far been the highest grosser in NTR's career. We are very happy with the way the film has been received across the State. NTR's look has been especially liked by one and all. We worked on the look for one whole day at NTR's residence. I wanted a look that portrayed both power and royalty.
"I will definitely make films in different genres. I think I can make good love stories that will connect to the family audience. I will do it in the coming years.
"I will talk about my next film after 10 days. I am working on the script."
