In an exclusive interview, Prerna Arora opens up about collaborating with Kiran Abbavaram and debut director Srikanth Puppala for their untitled pan-India film, sharing what inspired the partnership and the creative vision driving the ambitious project.
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Prerna Arora opens up about creative spark (PC: File)
National Award-winning producer Prerna Arora has established herself as one of the prominent creative forces in Indian cinema, known for backing impactful and content-driven stories across genres. With acclaimed productions like Rustom, Toilet: Ek Prem Katha, Pad Man and Pari to her credit, Prerna has consistently championed films that connect with audiences on a wider scale. After the release of Jatadhara, featuring Sudheer Babu and Sonakshi Sinha, she continues to expand her cinematic journey with an untitled pan-India mythological fantasy in collaboration with Zee Studios, marking her third association with the banner. The film stars Telugu sensation Kiran Abbavaram in the lead and marks the directorial debut of Srikanth Puppala, who previously served as Chief Associate Director to Kannada superstar Rishab Shetty on Kantara: A Legend Chapter 1.
Prerna Arora on her latest cinematic venture
During an interview with India.com, when Prerna was asked what excited her about collaborating with Kiran Abbavaram and debut director Srikanth Puppala, she said, “The sense of the story because jo humne bahut pehle banayi thi Rustom, Toilet, Pad-Man jo ki bahut bada muddaa tha and use banane mein hum sabki partnership thi, and excitement to work with the director and of course the hero, toh ye jo collaboration hai young youth ka as hum log koshish kar rhe hai ki bilkul ye youth based film bana rahe hai and yahan main Gen-Z’s ki baat nahi kar rahi ki khamakha ek word ko exploit kiya jaa raha hai, toh aisa nahi hai sabhi log picture dekhte hai.” (It’s about the essence of the story—much like the films we made a while back, such as *Rustom*, *Toilet*, and *Pad Man*, which addressed significant issues and were the result of a collaborative effort involving the director and, of course, the lead actor. This project represents a collaboration with the younger generation; we are consciously aiming to create a film that resonates with the youth. And I don’t mean this in the sense of simply exploiting a buzzword like “Gen-Z”—it’s not about that; ultimately, everyone watches movies.)
She further continued, “Saari audiences film dekhne aati hai kyunki jab film acchi hoti hai na toh aap aisa nahi hai ki use young generation ke liye bana rahe hain, aap apne desh ke liye, logon ke liye, entertainment purpose ke liye, har tarike, har prakaar ki audience ke liye film bana rahe hain. Isme ek muddaa hai meri film mein ek bhagwaan se judaa hai ek aisa part ek aisi cheez hai jo aaj tak humnein kisi bhi Bollywood film mein aisa kuch ya kisi bhi South film mein nahin dekha hai, kisi ek nayi cheez ki shuruaat zarur hogi iss film se because it will connect with the people as it is very rooted and its just not mythology, its something jo aaj se connect karta hai like today jo war chal rahe world mein wo aaj hai, toh hum yahan kisi backstory pe baat nahi kar rahe kyunki wo aaj mein ho rahe hain iss kahani ke dwaara.” (Audiences come to watch a film because when a movie is good, you aren’t making it solely for the younger generation; you are creating it for your country, for the people, for entertainment, and for every type of audience. My film features an element—something connected to the divine—that hasn’t been seen before in Bollywood or South Indian cinema. This film will certainly mark the beginning of something new because it resonates deeply with people; it is firmly rooted in reality and goes beyond mere mythology to connect with the present day. It addresses contemporary issues—such as the wars currently unfolding across the world—rather than focusing on a backstory, as these events are playing out in the ‘here and now’ within the narrative.)
Prerna Arora on collaborating with Kiran Abbavaram and Srikanth Puppala
Kiran Abbavaram and Srikanth Puppala (PC: Twitter)
Prerna also spoke about joining forces with Telugu star Kiran Abbavaram and Srikanth Puppala while highlighting what this means for her. She said, “I am glad that mujhe Kiran Abbavaram ke saath kaam karne ka mauka mila because he is a brilliant actor, I’ve seen his work wo ek rising star hai yahan pe, youth mein ek zabardast fan following hai unki, toh wo bhi maine samajhne ki koshish ki kaisa hai yahan ka environment, phir jo film ke director hai wo itne senior hain aur sabse badi baat that unke paas knowledge hai jo unhone experience kiya, especially Rishab Sir ke sath toh aap samajh sakte hai ki unke paas ek ek bhandaar hoga knowledge ka like jo unhone Kantara ke set pe experience kiya and I really love Kantara 1 and 2, jis tarah se usmein Varaha swami ka roop dikhaya hai toh usse jo maahaul bana wahin se kahani bani aur woh bhi ye ek Kannada film thi and I am literally still surprised ki kaise unhone jungle ke beechon beech jaake forest, tribals like jo god the “Varaha Roopam” Vishnu bhagwaan ka jo hota hai apne aap hi pehchaan ho gayi naturally, so yahi baat hai ki mujhe unke sath kaam karne ka mauka milega and that is a very big thing and I am really proud of this project.”
