Ravi Babu: Avunu is supernatural film

Actor-director Ravi Babu chooses a supernatural theme for his next film Avunu. The movie has Harshavardhan Rane and Poorna (Seema Tapakai fame) in the lead roles.

In this interview to rediff.com, Ravi Babu talks about Avunu , which will release on Friday, September 21.

Was the incident with Yami Gautam during the making of Nuvvila the trigger for Avunu?

Yes, that triggered the idea for the film. She narrated the incident to me and I wrote a screenplay.

Why did you want to make the film?

Because I related to the idea. I shot Nuvvilla for 56 days and stayed at Sitara Hotel in Ramoji Film City.

The night I heard about the incident, I got scared. I vacated the room and went back to my house. I wanted to put that on celluloid and so made it into a film.

So, did you fictionalise the story?

Yes, it's a dramatisation. The incident is real but it's not the same in the film.

How much did the incident scare you?

I heard it casually but I think the impact was strong. I was told I was the only guest in Sitara that night. Perhaps that also added to the fear. I packed my bags and left.

Why didn't you get Yami Gautam to act in the film?

Yami was busy shooting for Vicky Donor and a Malayalam film and didn't have the dates.

I didn't want to wait and wanted to make the film urgently. So I chose Poorna instead.

Is there is a supernatural element in the film?

The whole film is supernatural but I kept it in the realistic mode.

Background score is very important in such films...

Yes, the background score is very interesting. There are no songs in the film.

All necessary steps have been taken to fashion the film well.

Is the film eerie?

It's not eerie. It's not dark. The film is shot in broad daylight. Spirits are always shown in the dark. I wondered what they do in the daytime.

It's meant to intrigue the audience. People may get scared in parts.

What do you want to convey?

I just narrate an incident. It's possible that something like this could happen.

What are the highlights of this film?

The whole film has been shot with a static camera that doesn't tilt or pan. Even if a shot is cut, the camera is stationary.

This is one of the USPs of the film. You may notice this aspect.

How long did it take you to make the film?

It took me six months from inception to actual release.