Interview with Dil Raju

He is among the top-ranking producers in the Telugu industry today. Venkata Ramana Reddy or Dil Raju as he is popularly known, talks about the secret behind his consistent success. He discloses his future plans and his friends in a free-wheeling interview with crazypost.in Team  

You are considered to be one of the most successful producers in the industry. But what efforts have you put in to achieve such success?
I watch a film like a common man. I learnt everything like that. I try to observe what the film is and identify the soul of the film. I personally like love stories and family entertainers owing to my family background.


You are producing a slew of big films, how do you manage?
I am really lucky. My directors and heroes are co-operating to the fullest keeping in view my involvement and passion towards cinema. However, I cannot deny it means a lot of strain as I oversee everything personally. Also, a few films are delayed due to unavoidable reasons. But I try to minimize such situations and work to avoid such glitches.

So, do you have any regrets?
Yes, there are a few. But I take the essence of what has gone wrong and consider it as a platform to gain experience and achieve success.

Over the years, you have produced many hit films. How do you gauge if a film will be successful?
I try to identify the USP or soul of the film. I hold constant discussions and interactions with my team till I feel Ok. Once that is done, the project goes on to the sets.

You have worked with big stars, who do you share a personal rapport with?
I share a personal rapport with everyone. But I share my happiness and sorrow with Allu Arjun and Prabhas. They are more like family. I am also close to NTR Jr as well, but we mostly talk about films.

Of all the leading heroes, you haven’t worked with Pawan Kalyan yet. When can we see your combination?
Ever since I turned a producer, it’s my dream to work with Pawan Kalyan. I have a few scripts for him. Things might finally fall into place either in 2014 or 2015.


Do you have any plans to direct?
No.

You seem to know the pulse of the audience. Do you have any plans of producing films in other languages?
Yes, I want to remake my films in Tamil and Hindi languages as I think remakes are a safe bet.

There are many apprehensions about the future of Tollywood if the state is bifurcated. What’s your take on it?
Whatever region you belong to, we all love watching films. Our language is the same. We are making films for the Telugu people. There are many states in India, but Bollywood is based in Mumbai. I feel it’s not necessary for the industry people and media to step into those issues and read too much in it.

Do you have any dream projects in mind?
Every film I make is my dream project!

You are jointly producing a movie with Allu Aravind…
We have known each other for 10 years and we share a good relationship. Our wavelengths match. We recently started Pilla Nuvvu Leni Jeevitham starring Sai Dharam Tej. If we deliver hits, we will continue producing films jointly in the future too.

There is an allegation that small films are not getting theaters, what’s your comment?
These comments have become fashionable these days. There is nothing like a big or small film. I’m releasing a film titled D for Dopidi. Before blaming others, one has to scrutinize whether people are enthusiastic to watch their film or not. There should be an exciting point to make the audience curious about watching a film. The promotion should be unique and the concept should attract the people. Else, there is no point in playing the blame game. Finally, you have to realize the fact that nobody is interested to exhibit films that lack any hype and hoopla!

Your name is being targeted in this regard…
In a short span, we have made a number of films and delivered big hits. Maybe people are jealous of us and envious about our success rate. We can react and invalidate their comments, but it will make the issue worse. I take everything in my stride and strike a balance between success and failure. I try to analyse what has worked and what hasn’t for every film. I don’t want to deviate myself and I would rather focus on making a good film.

How do you deal with failure?
I try to figure out exactly what went wrong with that project. I then rework on the scripts of my future projects and take time to come up with a good script.

Why have you stopped making small films?
I am going to make a new film titled Kerintha with newcomers in the direction of Sai Kiran Adivi. The film would be launched in December or January. And there are a couple of small projects in the offing. Also, there is a film with Nithiin in the pipeline, it would be launched in the second half of 2014 after completing these projects.

Which among your films are your favourite films?
Arya, Bommarillu and Kotha Bangaru Lokam.