Producer Bunny Vas Interview
When I heard the story of the movie AAY, I really enjoyed it: producer Bunny Vas
Narne Nithiin and Nayan Sarika star in AAY, a film produced by Bunny Vas and Vidya Koppineedi and presented by Allu Aravind under the GA2 Pictures banner. The film is directed by Anji K. Maniputhra and had a grand release on August 15. It has received a superhit talk. On this occasion, producer Bunny Vas spoke to the media about the film’s features.
– Director Anji has worked on many films as part of Anil Ravipudi’s direction team. Our co-producers, Riyaz and Bhanu, brought this script to me. They asked me to listen to the story of the Amalapuram boy. Being good friends, I agreed and listened to it. I laughed non-stop for two and a half hours. After the film’s release at Vishwanath in Kukatpally, I watched it with the audience, and the person in the seat opposite me was unable to stop smiling. It became clear that the enjoyment I felt while hearing the story was being mirrored by the audience. It seemed that we had made a strong impact. The last half hour of the first half was the only time there was laughter in the theatres.
– Anji designed all the characters in the movie. The story is set in a small village near Amalapuram, so the characters were crafted to feel natural. I was born and raised in the same area, which helped me connect with the story. Typically, we say Malayalam cinema does natural storytelling, and I wondered why we couldn’t do the same. Anji told me this story in February and suggested we shoot in summer for more sunlight. However, we waited until the rains started and began shooting in August. There were days when shooting was halted due to excessive sunlight, as it didn’t fit the film’s needs. We put in a lot of effort.
– The movie is definitely an entertainer. It has plenty of entertainment and good moments, but that alone isn’t enough in today’s trend. We aimed to add a touch of class while setting the film in an area like Amalapuram. We decided that incorporating rain would contribute to this, which required shooting in foggy conditions. If the sun was too bright, we postponed the shooting.
– We considered many people for the role of Vinod Kumar. However, whoever was cast would come with certain expectations. If new actors were introduced, they might not connect well with the audience. We needed someone who would resonate with the character, so we thought Vinod Kumar would be a good fit.
– We completed the film because I had selected the stories before the COVID-19 pandemic, not the current ones. However, they did not attract the expected audience. AAY is a post-COVID film, and I urged everyone to watch it. The positive response has brought back many old memories, which made me a bit emotional after the release.
– An entertainer like AAY usually connects with the youth. If a genre resonates with the audience, it typically performs well in the first week or two. I told the director that the film needed something extra to make a significant impact, so he shifted some scenes from being purely entertaining to more emotional. This change helped the film connect with a broader audience. The story was written two years ago, and the film should be viewed in that context.
– I am not familiar with the story of the other film Committee Kurrollu. Similarly, Niharika does not know the story of our film. Both films were set against the backdrop of Godavari by chance, and both have been appreciated by audiences.
– Narne Nithiin, coming from a prominent family, had not released Mad before this film. I thought that if he was being cast as a hero, there might be commercial considerations. However, he has a clear understanding of which films will work for him. He is a grounded person with good judgment.
– There is a demand to increase the number of movie shows, and we are working on it. Discussions are ongoing.
– Friendship is a significant relationship in my life, and I am at this stage because of my friends, not just Bunny. Friends like SKN and Maruthi have also played a role. Why would I not connect with a story about friendship?
– The satisfaction of seeing a small film become a big hit is unparalleled.
– A film should be made according to its story and genre, whether it is big or small. Both types of films are challenging to make.
– We are planning to shoot the film Thandel and aim for a December release. However, with Pushpa 2 scheduled for the same month, we are considering a different release strategy. We are focusing on CG work for Thandel, and I hope to clarify its release date after Dussehra, once we have addressed all these considerations.
