Peddi has a powerful emotional core beyond sports: Buchi Babu

With “Peddi” gearing up for release amid tremendous buzz, director Buchi Babu Sana interacted with the media and shared interesting details about the film, Ram Charan’s transformation, AR Rahman’s music, and more.

Uppena was your debut film and a blockbuster. Why did it take five years to make Peddi?

Usually, directors don’t take five years to deliver their next film after a blockbuster. But that’s what happened in my case (laughs). My mentor Sukumar garu introduced me to Charan garu. I narrated the story, and he immediately liked it. Once he approved it, we completed the entire production in about a year and a half.

Peddi is set against a sports backdrop. What preparations went into it?

Cricket is a sport familiar to everyone, but we took extra care with the wrestling portions. We brought in the trainer who worked with Aamir Khan for “Dangal” and involved wrestlers from Telangana. All the actors underwent special training. Ram Charan trained as a wrestler for nearly three to four months. Besides the sports backdrop, the film has a strong emotional story. There is a major 15-minute emotional block that hasn’t been revealed in the trailer.

You initially narrated a story to NTR. Is Peddi the same project?

No. The story I planned for NTR garu is entirely different. “Peddi” was developed specifically for Ram Charan sir. He had always wanted to do a sports drama, and we crafted this story with him in mind. The scale and budget of the film were possible because of Charan. The way a story is mounted changes depending on the hero.

Tell us about Janhvi Kapoor and the supporting cast.

Shiva Raj Kumar plays a mentor, a character who keeps the spirit of the game alive. Jagapathi Babu’s Appalasuri is an extremely powerful role, arguably the most impactful character after the hero. Divyendu’s role is also very interesting. Janhvi Kapoor brings a fresh charm to the film and is wonderful in the love track. She is intelligent, passionate about cinema, dedicated, and very humble.

There were reports that ‘Abbani Teeyani Debba’ song has been recreated in the film. Is it true?

No.  We planned it to play briefly on a radio in a scene. But we muted those portions because we felt it could distract the audience and take them out of the story.

How was the experience of working with AR Rahman?

I’ve always admired albums like “Roja” and “Bombay”. Working with Rahman sir was a dream come true. Listening to him compose and sing was a wonderful experience. After hearing “Massa Massa”, I wasn’t fully convinced for nearly two months and even asked for an alternative version. One day, Charanheard it while driving and loved it instantly. He said he got completely carried away by the song. After that, he didn’t want any other option. That was his judgment.

How challenging was Ram Charan’s transformation?

We designed Peddi’s journey in three phases. I created AI-based visual references for each stage and showed them to Charan. What he delivered on screen was even better than what I had imagined. His transformation is truly mind-blowing. Presenting a commercial hero in such an organic manner is not easy. Audiences need to experience the climax on the big screen. Everyone who has watched it so far has called it extraordinary.

Did Sukumar watch the film?

Yes. After watching it, he told me that the second half is his favorite portion. One thing I learned from him is total focus. When he is making a film, he thinks only about that film. I try to follow the same approach.

What is your next project? Will you collaborate with NTR?

I already have another strong story ready. We’ll decide later who will star in it. If NTR garu calls me, I will immediately run and narrate the story to him.