‘Nayan and Rana are poles apart’

After directing a critically-appreciated film, Vaanam, director Krish is back with a Tamil-Telugu bilingual. Titled Ongaram (Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum in Telugu), the film has Rana Daggubati and Nayanthara within the lead.“The film is special to me for several reasons. For one, that is the primary time I’m helming a single project in two different languages, with different cast, together. Also, this can be a travel-action adventure, a genre that I’m experimenting for the primary time,” he says, “We had started shooting for both the versions long back, but finalised at the Tamil title only now. We were on the lookout for a title in Tamil that everybody would understand. While Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum is a famous Sanskrit verse, Ongaram in Tamil means Pranavam.”The film has Rana playing a theatre artist and Nayan, a documentary filmmaker. “The two are poles apart. While Rana is self-centred, Nayan has a selfless approach towards life normally. The 2 take advantage of unlikely pair, and yet, have superb chemistry,” he says.

Will this film, like his previous ones, have a philosophical twist? “More than philosophical, my previous films were a mirrored image of reality. This one is encouraged by certain real life incidents,” he tells us, “The story is ready in Tamil Nadu-Karnataka border, and is predicated on land mafia.”

The team recently shot a part of the climax in a collection of a temple erected in Chennai. “We have shot over 20 days for a component to the climax in Hyderabad. Vijayan master is choreographing the stunt sequences. Bollywood actor Milind Gunaji and Rana shot for some high-octane action scenes within the city,” he says.