Editor Marthand K Venkatesh is considered one of the best judges in the Telugu film industry. He predicted the failure of Akkineni Nagarjuna's 'Super' when Puri Jagannadh was going great guns. Another example is that he predicted Pokiri's blockbuster status after chopping seven minutes of computer graphics from the climax.
Ahead of the release of 'Sarkaru Vaari Paata', what Marthand is saying should thrill Mahesh Babu's fans. Read on to know what makes him confident about 'SVP'. He says that the hero-heroine track had him in splits. "Mahesh Babu's fans are going to feel like it's a festival," he says.
This is my first collaboration with Mythri Movie Makers. I have worked previously with director Parasuram Petla (Bujji). I have edited all of his films barring one. 'Sarkaru Vaari Paata' is an actioner and it is a combination of 'Geetha Govindam' and 'Pokiri' kind of entertainment, I would say.
My approach has been more commercial for 'SVP' than for a film like 'Geetha Govindam'. I feel SVP's social messaging is highly effective and its second half will cater to the family and mass audience, too. I knew the storyline much before the scripting was begun. I gave the director positive feedback.
I would say that 'SVP' is in the territory of 'Pokiri' in terms of commerciality. The love track in the first half connects with the youths. The characterizations of the lead pair make us want such persons in our lives. This is a very strong characterization of a hero in recent times. There are no forced comedy scenes. The hero's character is hilarious.
This film was never re-shot. I have known the director for many years. I am comfortable with him. I am confident that 'SVP' is going to be a massive outing.
'Takkari Donga', 'Pokiri' and 'SVSC' are my previous movies with Mahesh Babu. I have edited almost 500 movies.
Regardless of the age of the editor, he remains updated about the latest trends. It's pointless to say 'youthful' and all. Were today's middle-aged editors in a coma when they were young?
We finalize the rushes that we connect with the first time we watch. I land 90% of the film offers because they value my judgement. I predict the audience's verdict accurately. Sometimes, the judgement can go wrong. 'Leader' excited me. We expected it to become a big hit. But it didn't do that well. It worked on TV, though.
In the era of digital editing, it is easy to work on a greater number of movies. The work has become easier. Back then, an editor would do not more than 10 films per annum. We do double the number in the digital era. In the era of film (reel), there had to be a collaboration with the director at many levels. Even in the digital era, it is not perfect to edit a film on set. You have to do it in the edit room. Since I belong to the manual editing era, I advise directors to avoid needless special effects.
Arguments do happen with cinematographers and fight masters. An action block may be shortened by the editor due to length issues. The stunt master comes back and argues that difficult shots that were executed well were chopped off. The ultimate call is made by the director.
Reviews written by film critics are not specific about editing. They are casual and make vague remarks. They don't pinpoint the scenes that they feel are boring. Without specific feedback, how can the editor or director learn? Reviews say that the film is good but the editing is slow-paced. It's self-contradictory, actually!
