The ANR Awards 2024, which will be held on October 28 in Hyderabad, holds special significance for actor-producer Nagarjuna Akkineni and his family since it coincides with the centenary year celebrations of the late Akkineni Nageswara Rao. Amitabh Bachchan will present this year’s ANR Award to Telugu superstar Chiranjeevi.
Speaking to The Hindu in between a shooting schedule at Annapurna Studios, Hyderabad, Nagarjuna says that the ANR Awards recognises invaluable contribution to Indian cinema. He cites an example of one of the past recipients — director SS Rajamouli. “He has taken Indian cinema to the world stage. Indian films have garnered international acclaim in the past but not much at a commercial level. Rajamouli has made that possible.”
Talking about the selection of Chiranjeevi this year, Nagarjuna reckons, “He is a part of the history of Telugu cinema. My father believed in cinema as a means of entertainment for everyone, not limited to a niche audience. Chiranjeevi’s films are recognised nationwide and he has had a holistic approach in his contribution to society through his blood bank and other charitable activities.”
A file photo of Akkineni Nageswara Rao
| Photo Credit:
G. Krishnaswamy
As part of the ANR centenary celebrations, a statue of the legendary actor was unveiled at Annapurna Studios earlier this year. A postal stamp was also released. Ten of ANR’s Telugu classics that were restored by the Film Heritage Foundation in association with National Film Archives of India (NFAI) were screened in theatres across India.
No good prints of ‘Geethanjali’
Annapurna Studios had hosted a film restoration workshop by the Film Heritage Foundation in 2019. Since then, efforts have been on to restore Telugu classics. Nagarjuna explains, “Unfortunately most of the Telugu, Tamil and Hindi films have not been stored properly. It can cost nearly ₹80 lakh to restore a print. In several cases, we could not find the originals.”
Nagarjuna and Girija in Mani Ratnam’s ‘Geethanjali’
| Photo Credit:
The Hindu Archives
He cites the example of his 1989 film Geethanjali, an iconic musical romance drama directed by Mani Ratnam. “The negatives have holes, and the positives are gone. What we have access to is the poor quality that is screened on television. Converting that into a 4K digital format is a long process. If that is the plight of films of the ‘80s, you can imagine the older classics. Restoring my father’s Devadasu was a nightmare; somehow we managed to do it. I enjoyed watching it. It was like travelling through a time portal. Not only the visuals, even the sound was cleaned up.”
Nagarjuna reveals that 21 films of ANR were restored, of which the family selected 10 for public screenings. A few more films are in the process of restoration. “My father had stored the films he produced in good condition. All the films produced by Annapurna Studios are also being preserved carefully.”
When asked if the restored films will be available to the public for viewing on digital platforms, Nagarjuna explains that the films are now part of NFAI’s repository and talks are on to seek permission to make them available on the Annapurna Studios’ website. “Since the satellite rights of several older films belong to television channels, we may not be able to share the restored versions with other digital platforms. But, I also heard that NFAI is considering having a platform or a channel of their own through which viewers can pay and watch restored classics in different languages.”
AI, a potent tool
Taking his father’s vision forward is an ongoing process, says Nagarjuna. He points out some of the recent developments at the studio, particularly the Virtual Production Stage. There are further plans to introduce cutting-edge technology for post production. He cites AI (artificial intelligence) as a potent tool to enhance the creative process. “We all know that Amitabh Bachchan’s voice in Kalki, Telugu, was AI-generated. This opens up possibilities for us, actors, when we work in different languages. In every department, from writing to music to post production, AI will be beneficial, depending on how creatively it is used.”
Nagarjuna also mentions the contribution of the Annapurna College of Film and Media. “Many of our students are writers, directors and technicians. Aarambham, a Telugu film made by our alumni, came in for appreciation. The short films made by the present batch of students have been sent to international film festivals. I am proud of their work.”
Nagarjuna in director Lokesh Kanagaraj’s ‘Coolie’
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
Moving on to discuss his new films, which include Tamil film Coolie directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj and headlined by Rajinikanth, Nagarjuna says with a hearty laughter, “When I watched Lokesh’s Kaithi and Vikram, I was eager to work with him; I think I manifested this opportunity for Coolie.” Nagarjuna has filmed for 15 days for Coolie and says the experience has been satisfying.
He is also a part of director Sekhar Kammula’s Kubera co–starring Dhanush. “My character in this film is in contrast to that of Coolie. I have truly admired Sekhar’s sensibilities. It has been a journey of unlearning and learning. Sekhar would tell me that he does not want me to walk like a hero. I would explain that it is my natural walk. But he would want something else that seems more realistic. It has been fun.”
Published – October 27, 2024 08:13 am IST
