Everybody’s favourite, #Santosham, completes 20 years today. A thread (1/29) on how Dasaradh landed it, some behind the scenes moments, signing on Farah Khan for a dance number n much more...
#2DecadesForSantosham
#20yearsofSantosham
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@directordasarad
@Gopimohan
1)Initially Durga Arts green-lit Dasaradh’s debut project with someone else.
Around the same time, both KL Narayana and S Gopal Reddy were looking for a suitable story to start a project with Nagarjuna.
2)Dasaradh and screenplay writer Gopi Mohan got wind of it and gave a 20-minute narration of Santosham to the producers.
They liked it immensely and advised Dasaradh to expand it further in 10 days time so that Nag can be told about it.
3)The soon- to-be first time director developed the story into one hour with a detailed love track. Nag is impressed with it.
Dasaradh later shifts attention to Nuvvu Nenu— on which he was the co-writer.
#2DecadesForSantosham
4)One fine day, Narayana asks the director to meet him during evening time. Dasaradh agrees. He is told that Nag is keen that he makes his directorial debut with the project.
Dasaradh gets excited but at the same time was a little wary with the time he’s given to start it.
5)Nag intervenes and asks, ‘How much time will you need to complete the full script?’
Replies Dasaradh, ‘4-5 months sir’. Nag asks him to go ahead.
6)It was Gopi Mohan’s first film as a screenplay writer as well.
Being their debut film and at the same time not being an action film meant that both of them had to conceive and come up with good scenes.
7)Dasaradh n Gopi have written the climax but they felt something was amiss with it.
Dasaradh took it to his friend Trivikram, who, with his skills, enhanced its overall appeal with some heart-touching dialogue. Which is why Trivikram got a thanks card in the beginning.
8)The scene where Prabhudheva dances cheerfully playing a dhol at the wedding of Karthik and Bhanu was, in fact, his idea, so does everyone performing the dance trick Sunil teaches. #2DecadesForSantosham
9)As the scene was about to start in a few hours, the master choreographer shared the brainwave with Dasaradh.
Taking an immense liking to it, Dasaradh rushed to RP to get music done for it before filming it.
#20yearsforSantosham
10)The most memorable incident for Dasaradh throughout the filming was when they were travelling to Wellington from Christchurch in a bus. #2DecadesForSantosham
11)For 4 hours, Prabhudheva performed live on a wide variety of songs in the bus, with company from Pridhvi, Anitha Chowdary and Nag’s son master Akshay in the movie, much to the delight of the director and the limited crew.
12)Dasaradh credits Narayana, Gopal Reddy and Nag for not only offering him the movie but treating him like a family member on the sets and giving him complete freedom to execute his vision. #20yearsofSantosham
13)Gracy Singh was the first choice of Dasaradh to play Padmavati. After watching portions of Radha kaise na jale song from Lagaan, he felt that he had found his Paddu.
He met her in Mumbai and narrated the script. Her response was positive.
14)For Bhanu’s (Shriya Saran) part, Dasaradh was on the lookout for an actress who looked like a young girl in the first half, while carrying sarees with grace in the second half. #2DecadesForSantosham
15)In short, she had to strike a balance between being tender and mature. He performed a screen test on Shriya with Akshay.
Everybody liked the results and that’s how she gained her entry ticket.
#20yearsofSantosham
16)The interval scene where Karthik goes to Rama Chandraiah (Viswanath) and apologizes for marrying Paddu against her family’s interest was one of Dasaradh’s favorite scenes from the film.
For most of its part, it was filmed in a single shot.
17)The much-loved montage song, Nuvvante naakishtamani, filmed completely in New Zealand, was choreographed by Prabhudeva’s right hand Hari under his guru’s supervision. #20yearsofSantosham
18)An open restaurant at road no 12 Banjara Hills and Chandra Siddharth’s car served as spots for music sittings.
Chandra Siddharth wrote the lyrics of the haunting ‘So much to say I love you’ and he even came up with the lines Diri diri diri di vareva.
19) On a drive from Panjagutta to Gandipet, RP cracked Nee tolisariga tune. One more trip ensued in Nuvvante naakishtamani.
As Diri diri diri di vareva unfolds in a foreign country and needed dancers in two piece suits, Dasaradh was keen on Farah Khan choreographing it.
20)Her acquaintance with Nag and S Gopal Reddy meant that she was on board without much effort.
It marked her Telugu debut as a choreographer. #20yearsofSantosham
21)For every scene, Dasaradh would do shot division but would not take out the paper from his pocket, fearing that the crew might think he doesn’t know direction, and so, is seeking the help from a paper.
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22)Back then shot division was roughly written on a scene paper but Dasaradh would do it meticulously, with each shot serving a purpose.
Before landing on sets, Farah did the shot division for the entire song. Shocked to notice it, Dasaradh would explain his dilemma to her.
23)She smiled at him, saying that until she met Mani Ratnam for Sakhi, she too had preserved the shot division paper in her pocket.
Inspired by her, Dasaradh started taking out paper from his pocket.
#20yearsforSantosham
24)Santosham and Navvuthu were considered as the titles but the unit voted mostly in favour of the former. Santosham was Gopi Mohan’s suggestion.
The title gave that positive vibe to the film ahead of the release.
25)Given the story span and the number of supporting actors involved, Dasaradh managed to wrap up the film in 54 days.
He still remembers the first day—November 15, 2001. The place they had chosen to film in Ooty was covered in thick fog, so they had to change the location.
26)The scene where Bhanu tries to test Karthik at a restaurant was the first one Dasaradh directed.
Later, he shot some montages of ‘So much to say I love you’ song as the light was fading.
27)Until co-director Sai Kishore, who was close to him, congratulated on the first successful day as a director, Dasaradh didn’t realize that it was his first day.
#2DecadesForSantosham
28)As he was on his way to a theatre to check the public reaction on the release day, Dasaradh got a call from his father-figure in the industry, Allu Aravind.
It was the first call about the talk.
29)Congratulating Dasaradh, the Geetha Arts chief said the talk is extremely positive and added it’s a 10-week film.
The director was stoked hearing it.
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