Vijay Deverakonda’s Kingdom, directed by Gowtam Tinnanuri, is now playing in theatres. The movie stars Satyadev, Bhagyashree Borse, and Venkitesh in crucial roles. Naga Vamsi and Sai Soujanya produced Kingdom under the banners of Sithara Entertainments and Fortune Four Cinemas, with Srikara Studios presenting it. Anirudh Ravichander composed the tunes. With the film receiving a good response, Gowtam Tinnanuri interacted with the media, and here is the transcript.
What are your thoughts before and after the release?
Before the release, we were giving the final touches right until the last moment. So there was barely any sleep for our team. But once I got to know the result through the audience’s response post-release, I finally slept peacefully.
Why was the film named Kingdom?
Generally, I consider a title while penning the script. For example, the working title of Jersey was 36, and we changed it later. We considered different titles before finalizing Kingdom. The lead character is named Devara Nayak, so we thought of using that. But since NTR’s Devara was already announced, we explored other options. Yuddhakanda was one of them. Eventually, we locked Kingdom, thinking it would resonate across all languages.
Why was the song ‘Hridayam Lopala’ removed?
Many asked us why we removed such a popular song. People are even requesting that we add it to the OTT version. During the writing phase, I felt the song was needed, but we felt it was disrupting the narrative flow while editing. Removal of the song was a joint decision taken by me, Naveen Nooli, and Naga Vamsi after a lot of discussion. We’ll take a call about including it in the OTT version after discussing with Naga Vamsi.
Was Vijay Deverakonda the first choice for Kingdom?
This idea had been with me for a long time. I hadn’t fully developed it because I was waiting for the right actor. The script I initially intended to do with Vijay was different. But once we started collaborating, I realized the Kingdom story would fit him perfectly. He loved it too.
You are known for making heart-touching films. Why did you shift into the action genre with Kingdom?
Irrespective of genre, what matters the most is emotional connection. That has always been my approach. Kingdom may be an action film, but the action is driven by strong emotions. That’s why it worked.
You also made a film called Magic. Tell us about it.
Yes. Naga Vamsi and I had always wanted to do a music-based film. Since it took more time for Kingdom to go on floors, we used the gap to make Magic. Its strengths are Anirudh’s music and Girish Gangadharan’s cinematography.
When will Kingdom Part 2 begin?
The core story is already in place. The script work will commence soon. But before that, we are planning to make a web film for OTT based on the characters Murugan (Played by Venkitesh) and Sethu (To be played by a top hero).