Sailesh Kolanu interview: I like my films to be self-explanatory, glad that ‘HIT 3’ is offering a theatrical experience to the audience-OxBig News Network

HIT: The Third Case, or HIT 3, has brought cheer to the box office. Two days after the release of the Telugu film starring Nani and Srinidhi Shetty, which has also been dubbed in other languages, its director Sailesh Kolanu is relieved, happy and filled with gratitude.

“I finally caught up on sleep. I survived on an hour or two of sleep in the last two months, sometimes in the car rather than going home, when the film’s post-production was underway,” he says, settling down for an interview at the production house Wall Poster Cinema office in Hyderabad. On the day of release, he watched the film at Prasads multiplex and at Sudarshan theatre to gauge audience reaction. “It is great to see the energy in the theatres, and satisfying to see full halls.”

Excerpts from the interview:

When you work on a film for a year or more, you are too close to the material at every stage — writing, executing and post production. How critically are you able to evaluate the film?

We lose objectivity midway since we are so married to the content. We have to remind ourselves of the intent and excitement with which we began the film. That keeps us going towards the finish line. Sometimes during post-production, I take a two-week break, revisit the footage to assess it better. It is tricky. Luckily, I can spot when things go wrong and discuss with my team on what can be done.

Before we analyse the film, tell us about both the joy and challenges of directing actors of whom you have been a big fan — Venkatesh in Saindhavand Nani in HIT 3?

In the beginning, going to the sets and saying ‘action’ and ‘cut’ to the stars I greatly admire was overwhelming. Slowly I tell myself that there is a job at hand; I have been entrusted the task of making a good film. It took me a week to stop treating Nani like a star. He, too, gave me a pep talk to put me at ease. 

In two instances in HIT 3, dialogues refer to Nani’s career and image. These are fanboy moments. How do you decide how much fan service can be done while still staying true to the story?

These dialogues were not premeditated and incorporated into the film. As I was working on the screenplay, I thought it would be fun to have these ‘meta’ references. Those moments are evoking great response in the theatres since they work in the context of the actor as well as the story.

HIT 1 & HIT 2 were based on true incidents. HIT 3 is about a gang operating on the dark web. Is this fictional, but inspired by several real life incidents? The film mentions BTK in passing, but that is a different case of one serial killer in the United States who was nabbed after three decades.

Several cults operate on the dark web. We did extensive research and also approached the cyber crime wing in Hyderabad for help. The issues on the dark web are deep and real, we exaggerated for the sake of the film. 

Nani in ‘HIT 3’
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Vikram Rudraraju (Vishwak Sen) in the first film and Arjun Sarkaar (Nani) in the third film have their vulnerabilities. The former has PTSD and the latter is on the verge of midlife crisis. Is the intention to make these cops more human?

Yes, these traits — Vikram’s anxiety attacks and Arjun’s hypertension and relationship struggles — make them more relatable to the audience, rather than them being invincible cops.

You outline Arjun Sarkaar’s personal life but reveal just what is required, trusting the audience to comprehend…

I thought it would be enough to show a few aspects — his friction with his father, admiration for grandmother and emptiness after his mother’s passing — to make people empathise with him. There are moments when he breaks down. It establishes that he is not the coldhearted man he is made out to be.

The first two films in the HIT universe or HIT-verse played out like whodunnit crime novels. The third begins similarly but moves into a high action zone. How happy are you with the amalgamation?

Very happy. This is what we wanted, to give the audience a theatrical experience. I wanted the transition to be seamless, so that the audience does not feel a disconnect with the HIT-verse. We began with the investigation and transitioned into a survival thriller.

Mickey J Meyer’s background score is quite unconventional. What was your brief to him?

My brief to him was to keep the audience at the edge of their seats, and make them go berserk during theatrical moments. We wanted the music to work in the background, without preempting the emotions or screaming for attention. I prefer it that way. I want people to say they watched a good film, rather than single out the music or some other aspect. A film has to work as a whole. His music was in a new-age zone, using percussion and rhythm.

Sailesh Kolanu
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

The choice of the antagonist (name withheld to avoid spoilers) is also interesting. What made you cast someone who is unlike the macho villains we usually see in Telugu cinema?

I like this actor’s work a lot. If you notice, he is amiable when he receives Arjun Sarkaar and slowly his darker side is revealed. We did not reveal a backstory to address questions as to what made him the way he is, since nothing can justify his behaviour. In fact, many serial killers, like the ones shown on Netflix’s Dahmer, do not know the reason for their behaviour.

Production designer Sri Nagendra Tangala mentioned three layers in the design, and a backstory of the hideout. Can you elaborate?

Part of the explanation is in the film. The riverside palace in the Northeast, close to Burma, is 150-years-old. After it ceased to be a palace, it functioned as a hospital and was then abandoned. There are three layers of detailing in every frame. Pause any frame in these portions of the film and one can notice the palace ruins, the hospital ramps or small boards, or the new bamboo structures that are holding the broken pillars together. The boxing ring is among the newer wooden structures. The audience is likely to notice several fine details on repeat viewing.

The writing did not have many loose ends in the first two films, but this time a few questions have cropped up. One pertains to how the antagonist did not do a thorough check of the new members, especially Arjun Sarkaar. Can it be argued that even if a photo search was done, it may not help since the fictional Homicide Intervention Team works in the background unlike mainstream police?

I like my films to be self explanatory, but let me explain. It is nice that people are raising such questions. But I have done my research. From what I know, we do not have sufficient facial recognition mechanisms in India. If it is available, several crime cases can be solved easily. Only popular faces can be searched. We do not even have an extensive DNA database to identify people. I take care while writing; if there are lapses, I would have to answer to a 100 people on the sets while filming.

Nani and Srinidhi Shetty in ‘HIT 3’
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

How come an officer with sharp observational skills does not notice or recall Mrudala (Srinidhi Shetty) from the earlier days? Can this be attributed to cinematic licence?

I was a lecturer for nearly a decade and let me tell you that except for a few bright students that I am in touch with, I do not remember the faces of the others. In this film, the police officer was only a guest lecturer.

Is Vikram Rudraraju (Vishwak) still on a sabbatical? Did you not want to rope him in as well for a cameo?

It was already a stretch to show KD (Adivi Sesh) stepping in to help. It would have taken it too far to show Vikram also entering at that time. Though it would have made for a great theatrical moment, let me save it for one of the later films.

The bilingual actor (name undisclosed to avoid spoilers) who will lead HIT 4 has already been a part of investigative cop dramas. Your film will have to raise the bar higher.

Absolutely. The core idea of the crime and the story is ready, but I am yet to flesh out the screenplay.

What’s next?

I will begin writing my next film, which may be a romcom or a fun film without blood and gore. That will help me return to this cop universe with a fresh approach.