'7 Days 6 Nights' is slated to hit the cinemas on June 24. The rom-com stars Sumanth Ashwin, Meher Chahal, Rohan and Krithika Shetty in lead roles.
In this interview, Sumanth Ashwin talks about his character, working with his father MS Raju, why the film can be watched with one's family, his upcoming movies, and more.
It has been a decade since I have been an actor. I debuted with 'Tuneega Tuneega' in the year 2012. The journey has been great regardless of the success or failure of my movies. These 10 years have passed in a blink. I have resolved not to essay the kind of characters I have already played. Even though I have done natural characters all the time, they had a tinge of a larger-than-life element to them. I want to play very realistic characters that the audience can easily relate to from now. These days, the audience have changed tastes, thanks to the exposure to new formats (OTT). We have to give them next-level things. I hope I get the opportunity to do that!
'7 Days 6 Nights' is a beautiful, simple, entertaining story with a proper story. We are very happy with the story that it tells and the way it tells the story. Previously, I would realize that something was amiss in the second half of my movies. I promoted such movies with a sense of disappointment. But this film is totally satisfying. The entire story takes place over a span of 7 days, as the title suggests.
The audience will fall in love with the characters. They will think about the characters after watching the movie. I have played an aspiring filmmaker in the film. He is undergoing a lot of personal and professional struggles in life. He is a smoker and is not taking care of his physical fitness. He is leading a messy lifestyle.
I used to be overweight as a child. I used to admire the physical fitness of Mahesh Babu, Prabhas and all and used to think that it was impossible for me to become an actor because I was not fit. I, therefore, wanted to become a technician. I happened to join aerobics classes and suddenly started losing weight. Around the time films like 'Nuvvostanante Nenoddantana' were being produced by my father, the likes of Prabhu Deva garu and Trivikram garu spotted me. At that time, Trivikram garu and my father were planning to produce a movie with Mahesh Babu garu. 'Sainyam' was its title. Trivikram garu commented that I was looking good. I slowly got inclined to do something in front of the camera.
I am indebted to my father (MS Raju), who has made everything for me! I have never had to ask for what I need. He is the best father. I want to be born to him birth after birth! He and I have always put the best effort possible right since our first film together. We just work hard and do our best. With 'Dirty Hari', my father has entered the 2.0 phase of his career. The transition phase was a bit confusing. During the transition phase, he learned about the changing tastes and trends. It has been a complete makeover. '7 Days 6 Nights' feels like a young filmmaker's film. At the same time, it has my father's stamp over it. This is the most realistic movie from us.
Judging a script is not an easy thing. Even seasoned makers fail at it sometimes. I want to be a better judge in the future. In the past, I have been influenced badly to do imperfect scripts.
It was my father's call to cast a newcomer like Rohan as my buddy. At first, I recommended that someone who is known be cast. Casting Rohan has been a solid decision. Meher Chahal, my heroine, has done a great job as well. We have also done another movie and it will be released in theatres later this year.
The title is obviously borrowed from the lingo of tourism packages. Since the story takes place at a tourist hotspot, the title is apt. The music director of this film is very young. He is starting out at a young age like Devi Sri Prasad garu did.
I want to clarify that '7 Days 6 Nights' is a neat film. In fact, I watched it with my sister and mother. Had the content been cheap or vulgar, I wouldn't have done that. This is not a bold or adult film. Why would youngsters pay money to watch adult content in a theatre when they have plenty of adult material available on YouTube?
'Dirty Hari', my father's previous directorial, was a profitable venture for the producer.
'Sati' is my next film. It's a 'Drushyam'-type family mystery thriller. The story is between a husband and a wife. I want to go slow even if it means I am jobless for a couple of months. I have to pick the scripts with thoughtfulness. If you are investing a lot of your energy and time, it has to be worth it. I watch all sorts of movies, especially sci-fi and graphics-heavy ones. While love stories come my way, I love sci-fi and CG films the most.
