A huge haveli set erected for Prabhas’ The Rajasaab in People Media Factory (PMF) Studio at Aziz Nagar in Hyderabad, takes me by surprise — not just because it is the biggest indoor set in the world but also for its uimaginable detailing. The set, built on a floor of 35,000 sq. ft., has different rooms including what the unit refers to as the “fire room”. The haveli belongs to the character played by Sanjay Dutt in the film, and the fire room is where he does his rituals to get supernatural powers. To say that production designer Rajeevan has done a commendable job would be the only realistic way to describe the efforts of his team. I am dumbstruck when I learn that the huge set was completed by Vishwa Prasad’s efficient production team in just four months.
A few weeks’ shooting still remains to be done to complete the film which is slated for release on December 5 this year. This includes song picturisations. For one song, there’s another set erected in the same studio, informs producer T.G. Vishwa Prasad.
If Vishwa Prasad does not look filmy even one bit and does not have the airs of a big producer, it is because he is from the world of technology. Film production is his passion. As he smiles, “I earn from the world of technology and invest those earnings to pursue my passion.” He adds that he is now so deep into film production that he is slowly but surely quitting the tech world so as to completely and absolutely devote all his waking hours to films. Vishwa Prasad’s first Hindi film release was Sunny Deol starrer Jaat which he co-produced with Mythri Movie Makers. Although it did not do the numbers, its budget warranted, Mythri and Vishwa Prasad’s People Media Factory are going ahead with the production of its sequel. Vishwa Prasad has already produced several Telugu and Kannada films. Several more are at various stages of production. Of course, like The Rajasaab, they will all be dubbed in the remaining South languages and Hindi so that each of them will have a pan-India release.
The visit to the haveli set is preceded by the launch of the film’s teaser at Prasad IMAX. Unlike the usual teasers, this one is much longer but nobody is complaining because it is so outstanding that you could do with more of it. As if that were not good enough, T.G. Vishwa Prasad invites me to watch the ‘business cut’ of The Rajasaab in his office later in the evening. The sequences are terrific, they are splendid, remarkable, mesmerising. The horror fantasy is set to take people’s breath away, if the business cut is anything to go by. Prabhas is in great form in the film. It is difficult to say much about the other actors because the business cut — like the teaser — mostly has scenes and sequences featuring ‘darling’ Prabhas. In this film, the rebel star, as Prabhas is referred to in the Telugu film industry and by his millions of fans, is looking too handsome in the film to be true. The supreme confidence on the faces of Vishwa Prasad and director Maruthi is probably because the rushes of the film, made at a budget of over Rs. 500 crore, are erxtremely entertaining and supremely promising. Maruthi describes The Rajasaab as a Walt Disney kind of film. “I want to prove that we can make this kind of film in India also,” declares Maruthi with all the humility at his command. With hit music by Thaman S., the film just might become a talked-about wholesome entertainer. In the film, Prabhas doesn’t play the brooding, serious hero one has seen him in several films but a boy next door with flirtatious charm, unmistakable swagger and wonderful comic timing.
As a bonus, I also get to watch the business cut of Vishwa Prasad’s Mirai. Made in Telugu and, as mentioned above, to be dubbed in Hindi and other South languages, Mirai is a mythological drama. For Teja Sarja, this film could well prove to be the turning point of his career. Playing the antagonist in the film is Manoj Manchu, who is a Telugu film hero. Manoj is truly extraordinary in the negative role. Watching the rushes, I am particularly blown by the strong emotional undercurrent in the film and the extraordinary computer graphics. “Most of the visual effects and computer graphics are done inhouse,” informs Vishwa Prasad proudly. Mirai will hit the screens on September 5 this year.
T.G. Vishwa Prasad is a man in a hurry. He plans things with clockwork precision and has teams which execute brilliantly. It may not be long before Vishwa Prasad becomes one of the leading names of not just Telugu cinema but in the Indian film industry too!
