5 Ingredients Of Anil Ravipudi’s Blockbuster Formula

Anil Ravipudi says he makes films with one motive – entertainment. After directing hit films like Pataas, Supreme, Raja The Great, F2: Fun And Frustration and Sarileru Neekevvaru, he is sure that his formula works to make commercially successful films. He shares with us a few tricks of the trade and his own must-dos while conceptualizing and directing a film, in this interview with Baradwaj Rangan.

Understand the pulse of the audience.

It is very important to catch the pulse of the audience, irrespective of what industry. Apart from films being an art and a creative expression, it is also has a commercial market and a business. When we consider that aspect of it, the producers are investing a lot of money into one project. The most important thing is to bring back that money. As a maker, this is an aspect I always keep in my mind.

Entertain the audience.

Entertainment is the biggest aspect of any film. The genre can be anything, such as horror or even a mass or commercial film, people must enjoy it thoroughly for the duration of the film. Then it is a blockbuster. When it comes to my films, I have one particular genre I work with – mass, commercial entertainer. I have worked on five films so far, all of them are hits. That is because I never let go of this thread.

Believe in treatment.

All my films have a small plot point. I am not a director who wants to focus on big subjects but what I concentrate on is the treatment of the story. I explore the connectivity and links between different episodes of a film. I look for every opportunity to make them magical. Take Pataas as an example. There is a corrupted police officer who has a grudge against his father. He comes back to a city to irritate him but a few things make him realize otherwise and he becomes a sincere police officer. He later takes on the villain who is a politician. From the point of realization, the film runs like a horse. I put all my efforts into the episodes in the screenplay and answered questions like – how will he challenge the villain, what will the villain do, how will the hero break and finally, achieve what he has to. This is what made it a blockbuster. I believe in the treatment. It has been my success.

Make a route-map.

Just like how a politician who is on an election rally knows their route map of where they need to start, where they will rest and where they will stop, I make one for my films. I need to be clear with where the film will start, where I can give a break and where I have to finish it. This is the beginning for any project for me.

Narrate as much as possible.

With every film and every scene, I at least give a hundred narrations. It helps me cross-check with people to understand which of these are working and which are not. Sometimes even a random person can ask me what my story is about but I take that opportunity and narrate it to them. Right from what the story is, how the hero will behave to what kind of comedy I will add, I explain all major points. Their feedback is important. If it doesn't excite people, I work on it again. Narration is the biggest advantage to any director or creator.