Adivi Sesh wears many hats... He is an actor, a director and also a producer. Adivi, who works predominantly in Telugu films, is currently trying to wrap up the shoot for his upcoming multi-lingual film, Major. The movie, which is based on the life 2008 Mumbai attacks martyr Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan, sees Adivi play the titular role.
Speaking about the movie, Adivi says they wanted to make a pan India movie, as one can't draw boundaries when it comes to Unnikrishnan's life. “We wanted to narrate a story that is for the audience from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. If you see his life, he was born in Kerala and raised in Bangalore. He was posted in Kashmir during the Kargil war. He was a training officer in Mandsaur, Haryana and was martyred in Mumbai. So, this is a pan India story and the goal was to tell it to the Indian audience.”
Adding further he says, “I hope people will like me in Major. It is my most honest film yet, and in many ways a dream project for me. I have given it my blood and sweat, and I hope the film resonates with the audience.”
Adivi, who has also written the script of the film, thanks director Shashi Kiran Tikka for bringing his vision alive on screen. “It is a genuine collaboration I had penned on paper. Shashi Kiran Tikka had to take it to the next level, which is remarkable. I’m thankful he agreed to do the film,” he says.
The movie also features Saiee Manjrekar, Sobhita Dhulipala and Prakash Raj in key roles, and is produced by Sony Pictures Films, Mahesh Babu's GMB Entertainment and A+S Movies. Recent buzz on the street about the movie is that the satellite rights for the Hindi, Telugu and Malayalam version of the movie were sold for Rs 10 cr. 'Major' was initially slotted for a July release, but it had to be postponed due to the Covid second wave, which delayed the completion of the shoot.
Given the current trend of movies releasing on OTT platforms, when we asked Adivi if his movie too will take the digital route, he was quick to add, “We have designed this film for the big screen. Hence, we will definitely prefer a theatrical release for ‘Major'. I'll see when the theatres reopen and then I'll be able to announce a date.”
For the last one year or so, OTT platforms have been wooing audience with path-breaking content. In such a scenario when viewers are hooked to their smartphones, question arises if they can be lured to the theatres again. As a producer, Adivi says it will all come down to the content. “If it is interesting people will watch it no matter what the platform is — television, movie theatre or something else. If the story being told isn't good enough, people will get bored. Hence, the focus will have to be on the story and how it is told,” Adivi explains.
Adivi, who made his acting debut with the 2010 movie Karma, has had a checkered career. Some of his commercial hits include movies like Panjaa, Ladies & Gentlemen, Baahubali: The Beginning, Dongaata, Kshanam, Ami Thumi, Goodachari and Evaru. The actor's filmography boasts films from various genres — from romcom to thrillers to supernatural, and now a biopic. So, does he have a preference for a particular genre? “I don't know about a genre that I prefer, but I know the genre which I won't prefer. I would never act in a horror film. Because I am afraid of watching it, reading it and even acting in it. But I am happy to have a varied and diverse filmography,” Adivi signs off.
