Director Mahesh Uppala: ‘Itllu Arjuna’ is a new-age commercial entertainer

Director Mahesh Uppala is busy giving the finishing touches to his Telugu feature debut, Itllu Arjuna, releasing on November 13. The seed of the action entertainer, which marks Aniesh Reddy’s acting debut alongside Anaswara Rajan, was sown nearly five years ago, shortly after his hit OTT series Oka Chinna Family Story received a warm response.

“While there is immense satisfaction in delivering what I set out to achieve, at this stage, I view the film purely from a technical standpoint,” says Mahesh, who also helmed the YouTube show Madhouse, and co-wrote Sony LIV’s web series Bench Life and this year’s horror-comedy Raakaasa.

“We shot the film over two to two-and-a-half years, improvising and refining it. It all boils down to fine-tuning, to ensure the clarity of the dialogues, to check whether a soundtrack hits the emotional peak of a scene, and to polish the final cut.” What began as a quirky, fun action-romance between a speech-impaired youngster and a spunky girl grew bigger with time, with Venky Kudumula producing the film, S Thaman coming on board as composer, and Nagarjuna Akkineni presenting it.

Keen to move away from the familiar tropes associated with non-verbal characters, Mahesh avoided formal sign language to maintain an immediate visual connection with the audience. He and Venky Kudumula also put Aniesh through intensive workshops for over six months.

“Aniesh was one of the best things to happen to this film,” Mahesh notes. “He was hardworking, grounded, and self-aware. Usually, first-timers try to emulate the mannerisms or timing of an established star. However, Aniesh strove to be original.” He adds that Aniesh’s discipline helped protect the core script even during high-pressure shoot days.

“He was aligned with the script and never let himself or his industry-kid status come before the film. He was willing to work beyond regular hours and took nothing for granted. During action sequences, he sought feedback from the stunt director, improving himself with every shot.” Arjun, the film’s protagonist, can hear clearly but cannot speak.

Mahesh was keen to explore the character’s inner world while still crafting a seamless popcorn entertainer. “All of us express anger, joy, or frustration through words. Even during an argument, we use language to validate our stance.

A speech-impaired person does not have that immediate verbal outlet and has to process unexpressed thoughts and conflicts internally.” While some might withdraw into a shell as a result, Arjun is portrayed as a happy, boy-next-door character.

“He accepts his reality and does not go around reminding people that he is mute, nor does he treat his silence as a disability.” For Mahesh, the challenge was to explore Arjun’s character without losing sight of the film’s commercial appeal.

“The essence of commercial cinema is to draw the crowds, make them erupt with joy, offer catchy songs, and create emotional highs. Itllu Arjuna fits that entertaining space.” Though the promotional campaign has highlighted Aniesh’s presence as the film’s mainstay, Mahesh emphasises that Anaswara Rajan is far from being a visual prop.

“Itllu Arjuna is a love story at its heart and showcases the journey of two characters. Keerthi has her own backstory, point of view, and strong agency. Since Arjun cannot speak, she drives their dynamic verbally.” He praises Anaswara as an extraordinary performer who diligently learnt her Telugu lines with their meanings, enabling her to respond to Aniesh’s non-verbal gestures organically.

Having worked on smaller OTT setups, Mahesh relished directing action sequences on a larger canvas. He credits cinematographer Raja Mahadhevan, an associate of the renowned lensman G K Vishnu, for their slick visual execution.

“Raja had worked on major projects like Bigil, Mersal, and Jawan, and he understood my visual ideas instantly. Whenever I described a scene or an action composition, he would get excited and break down the camera technicalities for me.

He was one of my biggest pillars of support on set.” The team also ensured that the songs remained rooted in the narrative. “Yellow Chunni takes place in a vibrant, realistic middle-class neighbourhood. Another romantic number unfolds naturally as the lead pair travels across the city, while a third track is set on a terrace during a birthday celebration.” Mahesh likens his experience of working with music director Thaman to the affectionate senior-junior rapport one shares in college.

“Despite having worked on over 180 films, he gets excited when you pitch a good scene idea to him. His background score serves as Arjun’s voice in this film. He doesn’t just compose a score and walk away; he continuously refines it, never hesitating to replace even a great tune if a newer idea serves the emotional situation better.” Mahesh also finds it gratifying that he and his long-time creative collaborator, Manasa Sharma (who helmed Raakaasa and contributed to the additional screenplay of Itllu Arjuna), made their feature directorial debuts in the same year.

“We have known each other since our tenth grade, sitting on the same bench and united by our dream of making a mark in cinema. Coming from a village without a theatre, we held on to our goal, acting as each other’s sounding boards.

We will continue to collaborate.” Mahesh is now ready to let audiences take over. “We have poured our hearts into making an entertaining, new-age commercial film,” he says, signing off.