Aditya Hasan made a mark with his popular web series ‘90s’. He is now making his feature-film debut with ‘Epic: First Semester’, starring Anand Deverakonda and Vaishnavi Chaitanya. The film is set to hit theaters on September 11. Ahead of the release, Aditya interacted with the media. Excerpts from the interview:
How did your journey as a filmmaker begin?
I am from Wanaparthy in Telangana. My father retired as a school teacher, while my mother is a homemaker. I developed a strong interest in cinema after my 10th standard. I never worked as an assistant director. I completed my degree in Hyderabad and later went to the UK for my Master’s.
I had already made a few short films, and after returning from the UK, I started trying to make feature films. About six months later, I made a film titled ‘Teacher’ with Colors Swathi. It was produced by Naveen Medaram and Abhishek Nama, but unfortunately, the film was stalled for certain reasons.
I wrote the story of ‘90s’ based on my father’s real-life experiences. Initially, an OTT platform liked the story and came forward to produce it, but they backed out after six months. ETV Win’s Sai garu and Nithin garu already knew about the story and later approached me. That’s how ‘90s’ eventually came to life.
How did you get the name Aditya Hasan?
My original name is Aditya. I am a huge fan of Kamal Haasan garu. Out of my admiration for him, I changed my name to Aditya Hasan.
Is ‘Epic’ your biopic?
There is definitely some inspiration from real-life incidents, but my life isn’t that beautiful (laughs). We have taken certain cinematic liberties.
‘Epic’ will connect with everyone. The story is inspired by some beautiful incidents from real life. It is also a continuation of the world created in ‘90s’ and explores a particular phase in the younger brother’s life from that story. That is why we added ‘First Semester’ to the title. The story will continue with ‘Final Semester’.
There haven’t been many films that explore the lives of students who go abroad for education and the relationships they develop there. Since I studied in the UK myself, I know what that experience is like. I felt this perspective would be fresh and wanted to present it to audiences.
The first part has a different kind of ending. I didn’t write the climax from the perspective of the audience or the director. I wrote the ending that I felt the story itself required.
Did you choose the hit ‘Baby’ pair for commercial reasons?
I personally selected Anand Deverakonda as the hero. Producer Naga Vamsi garu suggested Vaishnavi’s name for the heroine. He felt that bringing back the ‘Baby’ combination would help the film commercially.
However, just like ‘90s’ was rooted in a natural and relatable world, ‘Epic’ will also be very natural. There are certain moments in the film that audiences will remember.
How did Gorati Venkanna come on board?
I have been a huge admirer of Gorati Venkanna garu since childhood. Even when I was studying in London, I used to listen to his songs. I always wanted to have a Gorati Venkanna song in my first film. That’s why I approached him for this film. He wrote and sang ‘Sanchaarame’ for ‘Epic’, and we began the promotions with that song.
