Aswin Raam says that love stories always work. 'Darling', his July 19th release, handles a husband-wife relationship from a fresh perspective. He cites the example of the Malayalam film 'Jaya Jaya Jaya Hey'.
Starring Priyadarshi and Nabha Natesh as the lead pair, the film is produced by Niranjan Reddy and Chaitanya Reddy of 'HanuMan' fame. "Although I am a Tamilian, 'Darling' is rich in Telugu nativity. Barring me and the Editor, everyone else associated with the project is from Tollywood," Raam says.
The heroine in 'Darling' suffers from a split personality disorder. That's the only commonality between 'Darling' and 'Aparichitudu'. The conflict point is something else. It's in no way connected with what you have seen before. The disorder has been seen in a lot of Indian and Hollywood films. Shankar sir's movies deal with social issues. 'Darling' deals with domestic issues.
'Darling' is a moniker often associated with actor Prabhas. However, the title is the aptest for my film. We have kept the title with a lot of responsibility. Prabhas' fans have accepted the same. 'Darling' is a commonly used way of addressing one's spouse or lover in our society.
My movie definitely has a message to offer. My primary interest, however, is offering entertainment. Social responsibility is incidental. 'Darling' is a clean film with no cuts. U/A rating has been given by the CBFC because we have dealt with a mental disorder issue. Kids can watch our movie with parental guidance.
I am a Tamilian who has always admired Telugu cinema. For years, I wanted to do a straight Telugu movie. I worked as an AD for 'Raja Rani' (Atlee's first movie). It was a great learning experience. I have implemented some of that learning in making 'Darling'. I have worked with Dhanush sir, Atlee, and AR Murugadoss in Kollywood.
Priyadarshi is the best actor who could have fronted 'Darling'. It was in 2019 that I first narrated the story to someone. I narrated it to two other heroes before approaching Darshi. He and I became friends while I worked on a small film in Telugu.
I was given the fullest freedom with casting. Nabha Natesh was chosen because I felt she would be apt. Ananya Nagalla has the role of a catalyst. Hers is an important part. I don't cast talented actors just for the sake of it. I approach them only if I believe it's a win-win. She is not the female lead but I gave her a 3-hour narration.
Once 'Darling' is out in theatres, females will surely love it. Female dubbing artists and our female producer loved the way I portrayed women in the film.
I am a huge fan of Charlie Chaplin. In one of the films, he runs away from a small danger only to fall into mortal danger. He evoked laughter despite it. That's what talent is about.
I have been in the film industry for the past 16 years. PrimeShow Entertainments is one of the best ones I have seen. They gamble only on content. Good content is their only agenda.
I am a fan of Brahmanandam sir. I have cast him in the film. Vivek Sagar is a superb musical talent. I am glad he composed tunes for our movie. Everyone who has done 'Darling' did so because they liked the content.
Using the word 'Aparichitudu' in the trailer has helped the audience connect with the film. In 'Aparichitudu', the characters were black and white. In 'Darling', the characters are white, half-white, creamy white, etc. Nabha Natesh took up the role of a conflicted wife as a challenge.
