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On the heels of ‘F2’s success, director Anil Ravipudi discusses why he makes entertainers with mass appeal

Anil Ravipudi has worked as a script and dialogue writer for eight films and directed four films so far. All the four directorials fared well at the box office. The last one, F2 , has been a comforting factor for the Telugu film industry this festive month. With the other two Sankranti releases not succeeding at the box office, F2 has brought cheers to the market.

We ask Anil how he’s been able to deliver hits consistently since Pataas ; does he have a success mantra? When the audience accepts a film, Anil tries to analyse what they like in the story, “We should keep track of market trends. The audience’s mindset keeps changing with every phase,” he says.

Anil Ravipudi

Anil feels that people watch all kinds of films and directors need to be in touch with them, cross check if the genres are getting repetitive and boring. “We get prompt feedback on social network. The overseas audience is quick to convey what they feel about a film and we realise whether we are up to date. I am not active in sharing my views on social media but I observe a lot. I am aware of what’s happening and I guess this helps to deliver success.”

Even before his debut as a director, Anil was clear that he’s inclined towards entertainers with mass appeal. All the projects he has directed are of a similar genre and have hit the bull’s eye. Does he think this formula will continue to work? Anil talks of his strategy, “ Nenu Hyderabad to Bejawada route fix ayyaanu, mana customers manaki vuntaru . Suddenly if I shift gears and go from Hyderabad to Bangalore, I might find myself out of place. It is a different route with a different set of audience. Till I settle down and get some mileage and people think it’s safe seeing my films, I need to play one game. Once my market opens up, I can think differently. But even then, I would maintain that fun layer to ensure my films reach the maximum audience. With every hit, I keep taking a step ahead in business. If one film collected ₹18 crore and another does even better, say ₹25 crore, I am happy. I am not keen on experimenting. Even if I make a Dangal kind of film, I will make sure it has ample fun.”

Anil strongly believes in what he does. On the other hand, there is a complaint by critics and his friends that his focus is more on the treatment than the story. He concurs and justifies, “That’s my style. In my earlier films I followed the same pattern and it worked. Some day I will focus on the story in totality, the day isn’t far. I always make sure my film benefits my producer and earns him a profit. I don’t get carried away. I didn’t see

Gang Leader or

Geetanjali in my childhood. I saw Raghavendra Rao’s

Jagadeka Veerudu Athiloka Sundari , Jandhyala’s

Aahana Pellanta , EVV’s

Appula Appa Rao , and those films have had an impact on me.

F2 is a film seen by the multiplex audience and also the C centres.”

At the moment Anil is concerned about his next project. He is aware that one is only as good as his last film and if there’s no variety, people will reject the story.

He enjoys writing as well as directing. In F2 , he had fun writing the dialogues. Anil is known for his racy screenplay and producer Dil Raju recently stated that he gave in to Anil by listening to certain scenes and not the complete story. Is it true? “My narration is good I suppose. I execute what I tell people. I keep improvising the scenes. F2 is E2 — entertainment and entertainment. The biggest secret behind the success is itlanti genre ee madhya kalam lo raledhu . The response is phenomenal. The comments and compliments sound exaggerated but when I visit the theatres, I see that it’s genuine. Venkatesh has done magic and Varun has held his own,” he signs off.