Lust, anger, greed, attachment, pride, and jealousy are regarded as the worst of inner enemies in Hindu religion. Director Jayashankarr's upcoming release Ari is about the mechanics of overcoming them. While being anything but preachy, the human drama is spiced up by thrilling moments and suspense. In this interview, the director talks about the cerebral research that went into penning the spirituality-laden thriller drama. He says that Ari has been made for those audience members who have a spiritual bent of mind.
While our religion says that Arishadvargas have to be overcome, the process of defeating them is not elaborated on. In 2016, two years after I quit my corporate career to become a filmmaker, I travelled to the Himalayas, where I got to meet siddhas and yogis. I interacted with them to learn about how humans can overcome lust, etc. I have incorporated those lessons into my film. I used their knowledge as a foundation to write the story of Ari.
It is easy to presume that Ari is a preachy movie. It is, however, entertaining. For example, Harsha Chemudu's character offers laughs. In fact, I am a fan of the Upendra-style of treatment. His films are known to be layered and philosophical while offering engaging entertainment. This is a film with AI-powered visuals and music in the form of two successful songs. The VFX is of high standard. That way, Ari is not only content-driven but is also visually striking. The producers (Srinivas Ramireddy, Seshu Maramreddy, Thimmappa Naidu Purimetla, and Beeram Sudhakar Reddy) have been very supportive throughout, for they are guided not just by good taste but also by guts. Right from the start, they knew that Ari would be an experiment in its own way.
The story revolves around six characters, none of whom come with a star image or baggage. Had stars been cast, the essence of Ari would have been papered over by their image. The likes of Sai Kumar and Anasuya Bharadwaj come with no set image. Each of the actors found the script and the incidents narrated therein quite resonant at the emotional level. Ari tries to narrate how vices like envy and pride take root in humans. If we get what we chase, one negative emotion takes birth in our personality. If others get what we have been seeking, some other negative emotion arises. People go to any lengths to get what they desire. (The film also features Subhalekha Sudhakar, Srikanth Iyengar, Surabhi Prabhavathi, Chammak Chandra, Akshaya Shetty, Ridhima Pandit).
A (high-concept) movie like this has to be narrated in such a way that the audience can understand the content. I am glad that CBFC members have given us positive feedback. Encouraging box office reception is now within reach. The final 20-minute stretch will be the most exceptional phase of Ari. The level of suspense the script maintains until the pre-climax phase will grip the audience's attention.
Former Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu garu called Ari a "modern Bhagavad Gita," noting that it successfully conveys the essence of our epics to youth who may not have read them. The film also received positive feedback from industry veterans (novelist) Yandamoori Veerendranath garu, and (senior producer) Ashwini Dutt garu.
My next film will be led by Jacqueline Fernandez. It will commence its shoot later this year.
