Singeetam Srinivasa Rao is a genius filmmaker who is widely respected not just in Telugu but also in Tamil and Kannada cinema. The subjects of his movies had a pan-Indian appeal. Aditya 369, his classic, was released in 1991. Starring Nandamuri Balakrishna in a dual role, it is gearing up for a grand re-release on ‘April 4th’. The 93-year-old filmmaker has spoken about the movie ahead of its re-release.
After 34 years, Aditya 369 is now being re-released with modern technology like 4K digitization and 5.1 sound mix. How does that feel?
It is a truly wonderful experience! Back then, we made the film with a certain level of technical excellence. At that time, we had no idea that such technological advancements would come in the future. There were moments when I thought, “Oh, if only we had made this film now, it would have been even better!” Producer Sivalenka Krishna Prasad has completely upgraded the movie and brought it up to par with contemporary technology for this re-release. I am eager for the re-release. It is thrilling.
When did the idea of making a science fiction movie like this first come to you?
Many people say that I was inspired by ‘Back to the Future’, but that’s not true. Back in my college days, I read H.G. Wells’ novel ‘The Time Machine’. That was a different story altogether. It had elements of time travel, science, and fiction. I used to discuss these ideas with my college friends. In Hollywood, many time-travel movies were made in the black and white era. After I became a filmmaker, I happened to be traveling on a flight to Bengaluru with S.P. Balasubrahmanyam. I once told him that I had an interesting subject in mind. He found the concept amazing. I don’t know if Sivalenka Krishna Prasad knew about this, but SPB pitched the story to two or three big producers. However, they didn’t quite understand the concept of science fiction; they thought it was just some fantasy film. But SPB truly believed in the story and eventually told Krishna Prasad about it. He too didn’t have much knowledge about the science fiction genre. But his greatness lies in the fact that, while big producers were hesitating and doubting the concept, he had a strong feeling that there was something special in it. He realized that this wasn’t just a regular fantasy or a typical historical story. With that blind faith, Krishna Prasad Garu took the leap (laughs). He didn’t hesitate or look back. It wasn’t like learning to swim first and then jumping into the water; instead, he jumped in first and learned to swim along the way. All the credit goes to him. He moved forward purely on gut feeling and conviction!
Tell us about the casting process
The script itself had a clear structure. In the present day, a scientist invents a time travel machine, and main characters use it to travel both to the past and the future. When going to the past, it needs to be a historical period that we are already familiar with. I never intended for the story to go into mythology, like the Treta Yuga or the Mahabharata. Initially, I thought of taking the story to the time of India’s Independence Day. However, the problem was that there wasn’t enough scope for the hero to be actively involved in the events of that period. Wherever he traveled, the hero had to be a part of the story. So, after careful thought, I found only two suitable historical settings: The Vijayanagara era during the reign of Sri Krishnadevaraya, and the Mughal era during Akbar’s time. Akbar’s period had characters like Birbal, Anarkali, and Salim. Similarly, Krishnadevaraya’s period had figures like Timmarusu, Tenali Ramakrishna, and the Ashtadiggajas. There were plenty of rich stories from that time. Films had already been made about Akbar and Birbal, but I wasn’t too impressed with them. That’s why I chose the era of Sri Krishnadevaraya. Moreover, by that time, N.T. Rama Rao Garu had already portrayed Krishnadevaraya on screen, which made it an even stronger choice.
I had also worked on Mahamantri Timmarusu. In fact, I wrote a version of the script for Pingali Nagendra Rao Garu. Back then, they would have me write the first draft of a script. That’s how I became deeply involved in the Timmarusu script. I have always loved the character of Sri Krishnadevaraya. So, when thinking about who should portray him, only one person came to mind. We decided that the only actor who could match N.T. Rama Rao Garu’s portrayal of Krishnadevaraya was Balakrishna. After that, we approached him, narrated the story, and he immediately loved it and agreed to do the film without hesitation. Everything happened quickly. However, apart from the past, the future aspect of the story was equally important. Everyone knows the story of Krishnadevaraya, but what the future would look like was purely based on imagination. At that time, I visited an American Library, where they had an entire section on Futurology. It’s a vast subject. For example, if a university or a college is planned in a certain area, futurology involves estimating, by using statistics, as to what that area will look like in 50 to 70 years. How many roads will be built? How much will the population grow? How will people’s lifestyles change? These predictions are part of real futurology. But what I needed was creative storytelling within futurology. So, Jandhyala and I sat down, brainstormed, and imagined various futuristic scenarios to weave into the story.
How long did it take to complete the script work?
After deciding on the basic storyline, Jandhyala and I sat together and discussed it for two weeks. Krishna Prasad Garu and Balasubrahmanyam Garu were also involved in these discussions. We had multiple sittings at my house and at the Palm Grove Hotel. For 15 days, we worked on laying out the scenes in sequence. Right after that, Jandhyala Garu completed writing the dialogues within a month and a half. Later, we made an additional contribution to refine the script. We felt that there was no strong connection linking the past, present, and future. That’s when we decided to integrate a diamond from the Vijayanagara era as a key element tying all three timelines together. By adding the diamond episode, we successfully linked the past, present, and future, completing the script in a well-structured manner.
You brought in some of the finest technicians, including the music director, art director, and cinematographer. What are your thoughts on this?
From the very beginning, we had decided on Ilaiyaraaja Garu as the music director. We narrated the story, and he happily agreed to be a part of the project. He got deeply involved in the film’s music. However, choosing the cinematographer was more of a divine intervention. Initially, we planned to have P.C. Sreeram Garu as the cinematographer, and he even worked on the first schedule. But suddenly, he fell ill and was unable to continue with the film. His mother was so worried that she didn’t even allow us to visit him, fearing we might pressure him to return to work. Eventually, he himself told us that he wouldn’t be able to continue and asked us to find someone else. At that point, we had planned to shoot the Sri Krishnadevaraya episodes for the next two months. Around the same time, V.S.R. Swamy Garu happened to be available; so we approached him, and he immediately agreed to take over. Once Swamy Garu’s schedule was completed, Kabir Lal handled the entire futuristic episode. Having three different cinematographers work on the film was truly an act of destiny!
How did art director Peketi Ranga Garu design the time machine?
He designed the entire Sri Krishnadevaraya era set. For the time machine, we first started by sketching out various designs. I wanted the time machine to look realistic. After several discussions based on these sketches, Peketi Ranga created a small-scale model of the time machine. Once we finalized the design, he built a full-sized version of the set. He incorporated steps, chairs, and glass panels inside to give it a functional look. He also installed a motor to make the machine rotate and used gas effects to create smoke when it operated. That’s why the time machine looks so realistic on screen!
You were always very diligent in selecting the artists. What do you say about that?
We had initially decided on Balakrishna Garu for the lead role. After that, producer Krishna Prasad Garu took charge of casting the rest of the artists. For the heroine, Krishna Prasad Garu and Balakrishna Garu felt that Vijayashanti would be the perfect choice. She was very excited about the project, but unfortunately, her dates didn’t align. For a film like this, the availability of artists at the required time is crucial. When Mohini was working on Michael Madana Kama Rajan (Tamil), I was having a conversation with writer-director Panju Arunachalam Garu. He was passionate about horse racing and would always carry books on the subject. During our chat, he mentioned a girl who was the daughter of the secretary of their horse club—he said she was beautiful and introduced me to Mohini. She had already done a couple of films in Tamil. We auditioned her, and she turned out to be a great performer—both in acting and dance. Most importantly, she had no issues with providing the required number of shooting dates. Cinematographer P.C. Sreeram also recommended her. I had known Tinu Anand for a long time, and I felt he would be a great fit for the professor’s role, so we brought him on board. For the villain, we wanted someone different from the typical menacing antagonist. Instead of a scary villain, we wanted someone who could also be entertaining for children. That’s why we chose Amrish Puri. His character was designed with a touch of humor to make it more engaging.
How did you complete the shooting in just 110 days despite such a large cast and scale?
Movies like Mayabazar, which had double versions, were completed in even fewer days. Proper planning is crucial. The reason why today’s films take so long is the lack of proper planning. In Hollywood, even for big-budget movies, they spend two to three years on storyboarding and planning. But once the shooting starts, they finish it quickly. There have been instances where major Hollywood films were completed in just eight weeks. I firmly believe that if planning is done correctly, shooting can be completed within the scheduled time.
When you planned the Sri Krishnadevaraya episode, did you always have Balakrishna in mind, or did you consider any other actor for a guest role?
Balakrishna was our first and only choice for the role of Sri Krishnadevaraya. We never considered anyone else. Even now, I cannot imagine anyone else in that role except Balakrishna.
Was ‘Aditya 369’ always your first choice for the title? Were Kala Yantram and Yuga Purushudu considered at one stage?
From the very beginning, I had Aditya in mind. Perhaps Krishna Prasad Garu considered other names. But a time machine is related to light speed—light travels 186,000 miles per second. There is a connection between light travel and time travel. When we think of light, we think of the sun, which is why I chose Aditya. The number 369 was added later. A time machine needed a name, and I recalled Boeing aircraft names like Boeing 737. The moment we hear it, we know it’s an aircraft. That’s why, after much thought, we named it Aditya 369.
‘Aditya 369’ performed well in Tamil and Hindi with its dubbed versions. Did anyone approach you for a remake?
There were no remake proposals. However, while we were making Aditya 369, a similar concept was being planned for a Hindi movie. But when Amrish Puri came to watch our film’s rushes, he went back and advised them, saying, “A Telugu film with a time machine concept is already being made. If it’s dubbed in Hindi, no one will watch your version.”
Fans have been asking for an ‘Aditya 369’ sequel for years. What are your thoughts?
I already narrated the sequel story to Balakrishna Garu, and we even prepared the script. Initially, he wanted to introduce his son with the sequel. He even announced it, but it didn’t materialize. However, Balakrishna Garu still expresses interest in making the sequel someday. When that happens is up to destiny.
If you could travel in a time machine, which era would you visit?
I am 93 years old now. One thing I have learned in life is that yesterday was better than the day before, and today is better than yesterday. People say the past was great, but if you ask them to listen to old music now, they might not enjoy it as much. That means we are constantly evolving. For me, the best moment is right now, talking to you. So, I have no desire to go back in time—not even for a second—because the past is over. And if we jump to the future, the thrill of experiencing life in real-time would be lost. That’s why we should live in the present and enjoy the moment. At 93, this is my philosophy.