The box office will decide whether or not Rajashekar has done the right thing to pick a story like Garuda Vega, but one just has to admire his spirit in returning to his element. In Praveen Sattaru’s PSV Garuda Vega 126.18M Dr Rajashekar plays Shekar, the detective in NIA.
Director Praveen had clear instructions of how Shekar should look, “They sent a coach to make me fit and lean, smart. At the time I was ready to go to the sets I had a heart attack because I was going overboard on exercise and I was smoking too. I had stopped smoking earlier but resumed during the making of Gaddam Gang again. People around me said Garuda Vega should be postponed by three months but I sought just ten days to be back at work. I worked as hard for the film as I did for my first project. I did everything — chasing, car racing, underwater swimming! I know people will say that it is a clichéd statement, so I will speak after the film releases and you will know what I meant. It was both physical and psychological pressure to give my best,” Rajshekar shares.
The past one year had people speculating on what film Rajashekar was doing. He clarifies, “I was working on this for the past one year. Until now I never got a good script and those I got were not that interesting. I was offered character artiste roles and villain’s role; I am okay with that but I had nothing substantial to do in them.
Then Praveen Sattaru came up with Garuda Vega. I would just call this sheer luck. Praveen said it would cost us around ₹6 crore but if the same is to be made on a grand scale it would be around ₹25 to 30 crore. My father’s friend wanted to produce a film. He heard the story and was ready to invest and after a lot of discussions we all wanted it to be a big movie, so the budget escalated and finally came up to around ₹27 crore.”
The actor says the credit goes to the director for coming up with a bound script. He quips, “There was no scope for any additions and subtractions, he had that much clarity. I didn’t have the energy to read such a huge volume so my daughter Shivatmika would read it for me. Every time I listened to it, the interest sustained. Praveen gave me clear picture about my character, the body language and how my domestic and professional life would be. He said he saw Magadu and was inspired to do similar. I it would be great if executed it the way he narrated.”
The teaser of Garuda Vega is trending. He says, “Its reception has been overwhelming, and mind you it is just a teaser. It was as if the film has already released.” The film was shot in Georgia, Bangkok, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mumbai and Hyderabad. Sai Kumar has dubbed for him.