Actor-writer Adivasi Shesh says there was so much drama in Sandeep’s story that it was difficult to include everything in the film.
Actor-writer Adivasi Shesh says there was so much drama in Sandeep’s story that it was difficult to include everything in the film.
A lot has changed in recent times for actor-writer Adivasi Shesh. majorThe Hindi-Telugu film inspired by the life of Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan, which will release on June 3, is his biggest project till date. When he steals some time from the self-admittedly busy publicity for this conversation at a cafe in Hyderabad, it seems nothing has changed about the man. Shesh’s head still rests firmly on his shoulders and he maintains his friendly nature.
He recalls a moment while filming the 26/11 attacks in one of the six sets built at Ramoji Film City (RFC), Hyderabad. “Shobhita (Dhulipala, who plays a hostage in the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel) and I looked around the set built at a cost of two crores; I told him Kshanam (2016 Telugu crime thriller) was made in about one crore. For good mannersWe worked with a budget of less than five crores. then came ivaru (Telugu adaptation of Spanish film Contratiempo either invisible guest) In all these projects, we gave the audience sleek films that cost more than the production cost. ,
major Given him and director Shashi Kiran Tikka a bigger canvas and a bigger budget, A+S Productions, Mahesh Babu’s GMB Entertainment and Sony Pictures came together. The film aims to hit national headlines but is not chasing remaining stardom. Their intention remains the same: to be part of creatively satisfying and commercially viable stories.
hundred million views and counting
Though remaining is not new to Hindi audiences major It is officially his Hindi debut. smart playerHindi dubbed version of good manners On Aditya Music’s YouTube channel, it has over 87 million views: “I saw another channel on which it had 20 million views,” Resh mentions with a smile. “During the pandemic, I received love from the people of Bihar, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, who saw ivaru online.”
The team has held a few “secret screenings” across the country, showing the film to approximately 1700 people: “This is my best project to date; this is not what I am saying with confidence in myself, but rather those I am saying this based on the feedback of people who have seen the film.”
major Tribute to Sandeep Unnikrishnan. It was filmed in Hindi and Telugu and dubbed in Malayalam. A portion of the film takes place in Mumbai during the 26/11 attacks of 2008, and hence was remade in Hindi. Since Sandeep belongs to a Malayali family, the film has also been dubbed into Malayalam.
connect
Sesch was living in San Francisco during the 26/11 attacks. Like everyone else, he went through the news about Sandeep. The loss felt personal, he remembers. “Sandeep seemed like an elder brother, probably because of the resemblance. He looked like some of my cousins. ,
Driven by curiosity, Shesh reads about Sandeep. “The more I read about this man who saved hundreds of lives, the more I became a fan. I began saving newspaper clippings, links to articles, and Quora forums where his friends shared information. I thought I know a lot about Sandeep. When I met his parents, I realized there was more.”
Shesh calls Sandeep’s parents K Unnikrishnan and Dhanalakshmi as “Uncle and Amma”. “Amma has a lot of pictures of Sandeep taken as a child. She was like a social media mother before we had social media.”
schwarzenegger and football fans
Shesh found that Sandeep was “the polar opposite of the stereotypical image of a military officer”. “He was a fun-loving, fan of Arnold Schwarzenegger and action movies,” says Sesch, a football fan who used to argue with his superiors about which club should win while listening to commentary on the radio. As on-screen mother Revathi says in the trailer, Sandeep’s life was much more than the 26/11 attacks.
Tribal left on the sets of ‘Major’
major The team filmed for 120 days in 75 locations and eight sets, six of which recreated the interiors of the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, only to send them up in flames during the climax: “It was heartbreaking. That set had to be destroyed,” Sesch says. From Kashmir to Pondicherry and Kakinada, the team searched several locations to match the timeline of the events in Sandeep’s story.
The writing process was different from what Shesh had written earlier. “In a fact-driven biopic, one usually tries to add pizzazz to the story to make it cinematic. There was so much drama in Sandeep’s story that it was difficult to wrap everything up. He has mentioned how Sandeep once carried a wounded soldier on his shoulders for six miles in Kashmir. “Relevantly, we could not include it in the story; There are many other incidents that we had to leave out.”
In this 136-minute film, at times the script had to fit into things that happened in a scene in Sandeep’s life over five years. Sesh explains that the small incidents shown in the opening parts become important as the story progresses and Sandeep makes important decisions: “He was a son, brother, husband, lover, friend…”
Understanding Sandeep
Stands 6′ 2″ tall, Sesh’s weight was 84 kg earlier major, He had to become leaner and fitter. “The biopic shows Sandeep at different ages and my weight had to go from 84 to 76, down from 73 and 71 and up again. It was impossible to film in chronological order. The only advantage of lockdown is that I can switch between weight and muscle tone in a healthy state with the help of trainers Satish Paryada and Visva Bharat. There were tremors in the form of dengue and COVID-19 in late 2021. Bouncing back, Sesha shot the remaining scenes: “Thankfully there were no shirtless scenes, so I carried on.”
I remind the rest that the last meeting coincided with a generous slathering of butter on the mocha and croissant. This time, a lean coffee is enough. “Oh, I love things with butter, cheese and sugar. It was tough work to nail all that down. I had to get my acting chops together to be fit enough to play the role of Sandeep.”
Adivasi Shesh and Sai Manjrekar in the film
At times he was trapped, trying to understand Sandeep’s mindset. “I called once Mother And asked him what it means for Sandeep to be a soldier. He recalled several incidents that explained the philosophy by which he lived. His decision to become a soldier colored every relationship he was a part of. ,
The film, Shesha explains, begins with Sandeep showing his school crush as a boy next door, enjoying the small things in life, before tracing the transformation into a soldier: “ Men and women are not born great; They do things that make them great.”
next
the remainder is next Goodachari 2, which will be bigger. There are plans to make the film in Vienna, India and “we have to recreate parts of Pakistan.” there is also HIT (Homicide Intervention Team) Chapter 2, produced by actor Nani and stylist Prashanthi Tipireneni, in which she plays a cop. He says director Shailesh Kolanu has big plans. “He has already made plans” hit 3, and eventually wants to bring everyone together Beat Franchise cop for a project. ,
deliver under pressure
As an actor, Shesha evolved: “I hate seeing myself on screen, I can only see flaws. This time, I am proud of some scenes. On the telephone with Isha (Sai Manjrekar) in the second half. I had to speak so much in the conversation that happened. This was a rare instance when I felt that I got every beat right.”
At an RFC event, the team had to race against time to finish filming. Looking back, he says he gave some of his best acting moments under pressure. Shesh recalls an anecdote about Kamal Haasan’s filming of director Balu Mahendra’s climax Moondram crushed. “They were running to finish the scene before it started raining. As the train started leaving the station, Kamal Haasan presented the scene; it started raining but he continued, and so did the camera team. That’s what it did. Some of the best moments happen when we least expect it.”