‘Andhra King Taluka’ Director On Syncing With Ram Pothineni And Why The Film Belongs In Theatres

Andhra King Taluka is a film about a film in more ways than one. Through the lives of Surya (Upendra), an acting legend on the brink of fading out, and Sagar (Ram Pothineni), a fan whose devotion goes beyond the theatre’s four walls, the film offers a charming reflection on the fragility of stardom, the blurring of art and reality, and the quiet hope that holds it all together. Director Mahesh Babu P tells The Hollywood Reporter India that the film comes from a place of wanting to tell a story about a failure. 

Despite opening to warm and glowing reviews, the film hasn’t quite made a dent at the box-office. But Mahesh remains hopeful. In this interview, the director speaks about his connection with Pothineni and why he wanted to tell a story of failure and hope and further nestle it inside the big dark theatre.

Excerpts from a conversation:

What was the starting point of writing this film?

I’ve always wanted to tell a story about a failure. In my observation, most people don't reach their goals, despite trying. I wanted to give them some sort of solace. If you have hope in your life, it doesn't really matter where you are. I then tried to create a situation where one person learns about hope from another person. It's about two people who have never met each other, inspiring one another. I chose themes of stardom and fandom because I thought it would be relatable for people.

What interested you about failure enough to make a film around it?

People have never-ending goals, so I wanted to depict this simple observation on the big screen.

When you tell this through the lens of a film, it also throws up interesting themes such as the fragility of stardom and so on. What was that like?

Even successful people can fall apart at a point. I didn't have particular references from the film industry, but we keep hearing a lot of stories. You look up to stars in such a way that we never imagine that they ever go through a bad phase. We stay ignorant of that and often forget stars have a human side and have their share of insecurities.

What was it like casting Ram Pothineni and Upendra? Although they barely meet in the film, their natural chemistry holds it all together.

I placed this film in a very large-scale environment, so I needed a large star to tell this story. I thought Ram sir would be perfect, and the role might be distinct from the films he's been doing. He wanted to do something different, and it happened with our film. Once Ram sir was on board, we wanted somebody out of Telugu cinema for the role of Surya. If we cast someone from Telugu, audiences might not be able to fictionalise their life. We didn't want there to be any confusion as to whether this was fiction or real.

In Surya, you might be able to see whoever you like. That was the idea. It was great working with Ram sir because he believed in this idea from day one. There's nothing about the script that he doesn't know. We make the best team, and we're always in sync. Upendra sir himself is such a cult filmmaker, so I was quite nervous directing him. But he was so encouraging on set.

How did you approach fandom with the film? Far away from the world of Internet fan wars, you've set it in the early 2000s, where things carefully remain fairly simple and innocent.

The film revolves around Surya's search for Sagar, so I wanted to make this journey novel. If we had phones and technology, then it would’ve become easy to find a person. There are always two sides to any emotion. I wanted to showcase the positive side of this love. Who you like doesn't matter, but what you do with that love and make sure it inspires you in life is the most beautiful part.

Although the film is about Sagar and Surya, it comes alive partly because of supporting characters like the doting father and the cynical friend.

I have always believed in writing subplots that will make a meaningful film. It brings depth and life into a script. It shouldn't be just about fans and worshipping stars, but the film needed to reflect real life. Rao Ramesh's character is a reality check. I also wanted to create a very nuclear character, so he comes from a village with no electricity or roadway. I wanted him [Sagar] to be as far from Surya's world as possible.

The film's collections still have a long way to go, but fans have prematurely expressed that TFI has failed this movie. How do you look at the film's box-office?

Box-office numbers are very important because we believe in an idea and put all our heads together to make something like this work. We don't want just appreciation, but we also want people to watch the film and encourage this kind of storytelling. When these kinds of films aren't watched in the theatres, people might tend not to make these kinds of films. We will promote the film further and will try to take it to the audience.

This film was also meant to be watched in the theatre, and that's one of the reasons why the theatre has a character in it, and the climax unfolds in one.

When you don't see results in the box office numbers, does that affect you?

It does affect me. Because happiness is directly proportional to it. But what I look forward to is that the film still has a long run at the theatres. If somebody is hearing me, "Man, your money and time are worth watching the film." It's a different experience from the films that have come out in recent times.