INTERVIEW: Director Puri Jagannadh On Liger, Jana Gana Mana, The Boycott Culture And More

Liger starring Vijay Deverakonda and Ananya Panday is set to hit the theatres on August 25. The promotion of the film is going on in full swing. Meanwhile, the director of the film, Puri Jagannadh, had a conversation with Filmibeat, where he spoke in length about the film, controversies, Vijay Deverakonda and much more. On the decision of releasing the film theatrically, the director said, "I am not at all nervous, rather excited about the film. I have made a full masala action film and I have a lot of faith in the content. I have also shown this film to many people and everyone has liked it very much."

'Vijay Is A Very Polished And Genuine Actor'

On how much the audience will be able to connect with Liger's story, the director says, "I write films keeping in mind the audience of all ages. Movies that can be watched by kids to young and old. Even I design the action of my films in such a way. Liger is also like that, which can be seen by everyone. It's not like it's just for multiplex audiences or just for single screen."

At the same time, he also heartily praised the lead actor of the film Vijay Deverakonda. The director said, "Vijay is a very polished and genuine actor. He is very honest about his work. And that honesty reflects in his acting on screen as well. He is such a person that if you ever meet him, your love and affection for him will increase."

'Jana Gana Mana Is My Dream Project'

After 'Liger', Vijay and Puri Jagannadh are coming together for the film 'Jana Gana Mana'. Puri Jagannadh calls it his dream project. Sharing about the film, he said, "Jana Gana Mana is my favourite film. It is a commercial film full of patriotism. I can say that it is my dream project. Many a times I tried to start it but somehow things didn't work out. Finally I narrated the story to Vijay and he liked the idea very much. He said that this is what I want to do next. So, after that we started working on it. With 'Jana Gana Mana' we have tried to give a message."

Talking about the ongoing controversies on social media regarding Bollywood films, the director said, "Since last 3 years, I am away from social media, that's why I do not even worry about the controversies. To be honest, I find social media a waste of time. And as far as the audience's preferences are concerned, I think people enjoy watching event movies. They enjoy it on the big screen, even if it's a small budget film. Also I think people always connect with rooted stories. These films need not be made as pan-India release, but they itself become pan India."

'Amitabh Bachchan Is My All Time Favourite'

The director adds, "I myself grew up watching Amitabh Bachchan's films, written by Salim-Javed. I loved Zanjeer and all. All those films were so rooted. Yes, in the middle came a generation of directors who were inspired by Hollywood. But it is not that films are not being made on heartland stories or on our culture." He said that he would definitely like to make Hindi films in future also. He named Amitabh Bachchan, SRK, Salman Khan, Aamir Khan, Ranveer Singh, Ranbir Kapoor and Vicky Kaushal as his favourites from the Hindi Film Industry.

Liger is co-produced by Karan Johar's Dharma Productions. Talking about the experience of working with Karan, director Puri Jagannadh said, "Karan Johar is an amazing person. I am a big fan of Karan basically. He has been a huge support to promote this film at pan-India level. He is such a person that even if you will call him at 3 am and ask him for a suggestion, he will listen to you and give a suggestion."

Director Puri Jagannadh , who has spent more than two decades in cinema, shared candidly how he made his way to the film industry. Recalling the early days of his career, he said, "My father was an exhibitor. We had a small touring talkies in our village. Where I used to watch the same movies for 2-3 weeks. I started writing stories from childhood when I was 12 years old. So, when I was in college, I wrote a play, in my village and directed it. My parents saw that and next day they called me and my father gave me twenty thousand rupees and said go to film industry and try your luck. I was so excited. So, I immediately took that money and moved to Hyderabad. I started my journey in filmmaking since year 2000 and I am learning even today."