Adivi Sesh, Sobhita Dhulipala and Saiee Manjrekar unveiled the teaser of their upcoming film, Major, based on the life of NSG Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan’s life, who lost his life saving people during the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai’s Taj Hotel, in Hyderabad today.
In a virtual press conference held simultaneously for the Hindi, Malayalam and Telugu industry, the actors along with director Sashi Kiran Tikka presented their labour of love to the world.
Talking about her experience, Saiee, for whom it’s just her second film after Dabangg 3, said that it was the most fun she had, on shoot or off shoot. “When Major came to me, I had my reservations since it was to be done in Telugu as well and I didn’t know the language, but my parents were the ones who wanted me to do the film. And without the support of Adivi and Sobhita, I couldn’t have done anything in the language,” she shares. Saiee plays, Isha, a character from Major Sandeep’s life before he joined the army. When asked about her approach to her character, Saiee says she just followed what her co-actors and director told her to do. Adding to that, Adivi said, “Saiee really trusted us on how we interpreted her character to be, and she helped us in how the Hindi exchanges between the characters would be.”
Sobhita plays Pramoda, an NRI hostage in the Taj hotel during the 26/11 attacks, in the film. When asked about her experience, the actress said that she felt a certain closeness with her team as she had worked with them on Goodachari before. “We felt on the same page and it allowed the room for genuine collaboration. Playing Pramoda has been very empowering for me as an actress and as a woman. It’s so tender yet strong and all the characters have been so well written. The passion with which the film is made is something I will cherish forever,” she said, adding that doing every scene and line in both Hindi and Telugu was a unique experience. “I realised that with language, the way an emotion is perceived changes and it allowed me to appreciate at a deeper level. Since my character was based on a real person, it added a responsibility to justify it. I believe dialogues speak a lot less than silences and it was through the silences that I became Pramoda.”
As for Adivi, the actor recalled that he was hooked to Major Sandeep and his life from the moment he saw his picture on TV after the attack. “It felt like I had lost a family member. After seeing that picture, I became a fan and admirer of him. I never thought that I’d be making a film on him, but when the makers asked me what my dream project was, I asked myself why can’t we make a film on this hero’s life. My first challenge was going to be convince his parents and after lot of convincing they developed a little trust in us and that’s how we started. A lot of people have asked me if the film is all fire and fury, to them I would like to say that it’s all heart. It’s a film that encapsulates all of his emotions through his life. It’s not about the way he died, but about the way he lived. It’s not a 26/11 film but a film on Major Sandeep’s life,” he stated.
Adivi went on to share that he treats Sandeep’s parents as his second parents. “They are the first and final audience for this film. I am really thankful that they gave us the permission to make this film. Our discussion has always been about the process rather than the creative. I spoke to them last night but it was about them giving me their blessings. The teaser has just released, and I will be speaking to them now about it,” he said.
The actor applauded the team behind Major and thanked them for all their hard work. “Three key members of the team lost their parents during the making of this film, but not a single day of shoot or event was missed. I can’t stress enough how much effort the whole team has put up to make this film happen,” he aversed.
Sobhita has had a diverse filmography across multiple languages. When pointed out, the actress thanked the audience for recognising that. “It has been a conscious choice. I am very curious about human behaviour and playing a character, that may have worked once before, again, feels like I want to live off on its goodwill. I want to experience different kinds of life and see what its like to be them. I want to throw myself in the deep end and find myself swimming back. I find it extremely enriching and if I have the choice to play characters that can move the needle even a little bit, I want to be a part of that change. I am pulled towards soulful characters and I surrender to them,” she asserted.
When asked if the team is thinking of taking the digital route considering the state of affairs at the moment, Sobhita said, “The film was envisioned as a theatrical experience so, releasing it digitally would be a disservice to that vision. It naturally belongs to the theatre and we are just hoping whenever it reaches there, people will embrace it.”
Image Source: Instagram/adivisesh/saieemmanjrekar/sobhitad
Image Source: Instagram/adivisesh/saieemmanjrekar/sobhitad