Why ‘Wild Dog’ Rejected OTT Offer?

Nagarjuna’s action thriller Wild Dog based on true events is all set for theatrical release on April 2nd. Ashishor Solomon has directed the film made under Matinee Entertainment. Here are excerpts from the director’s interaction with scribes.

What is Wild Dog all about?

A small article in a newspaper was the inspiration for Wild Dog story. After bomb blasts at Gokul Chat and Lumbini Park in 2007, many bomb blasts happened in our country till 2015. The central government transferred the case to NIA (National Investigation Agency). Some fictional elements are included to the script based on true events. This is not a regular commercial movie with six songs and one comedy track. It will be engaging all through. Cinematic liberty is taken considering the tastes of Telugu audiences.

What kind of research underwent to pen the script?

Since I did journalism in mass communications, I took the help of my friends in journalism for my research on NIA and bomb blasts. The content from books available in public domain is incorporated.

What did you find in your research about secret operations?

The details of people who take part in undercover operations are kept under wraps. Their names won’t be revealed either the operation is successful or they lose their life in it. They are called unsung heroes for their sacrifice for the country. These are the stories to be told to audiences.

How was Nagarjuna’s support and encouragement for the film?

Nagarjuna always encourages upcoming directors and innovative story ideas. He indeed tried first of its kind stories like Shiva, Gitanjali and Oopiri. That’s why I wanted to narrate the story to Nagarjuna. He loved the story and gave green signal to be part of it. I worked as a co-writer for Nagarjuna’s Oopiri. A good association was developed between us during the time. When producer Niranjan Reddy informed Nagarjuna about Wild Dog, he told him that he knew me. Every character in this movie has significance. It’s Nagarjuna who suggested Bigg Boss Fame Ali Reza’s name for the film.

What’s the backdrop of the film and where it was shot?

The film’s story majorly takes place in Nepal. We have planned a schedule in Thailand. Due the lockdown and also because of corona conditions, we had to change our plans. We did recce for locations for shooting in Sikkim. However, owing to state level lockdown, we couldn’t shoot the film there as well. When things were in control, the Himachal Pradesh government did not impose many restrictions for film shooting. We went there immediately to wrap up the shoot at brisk pace. We indeed found better locations than we expected. Wild Dog is an action packed movie. David and Sham choreographed some breathtaking action sequences. We shot an action scene at an altitude of 20K feet.

Why did you reject the OTT offer?

Wild Dog got a profitable OTT offer. Producer Niranjan Reddy asked me whether we can go for OTT release. I responded positively. But at the same time, Krack which was released with 50 percent occupancy, raked good collections. With that, we decided to release our film in theaters only. In fact, Wild Dog was made for the theatrical experience. But we thought about OTT because of the circumstances then. Wild Dog will surely thrill audiences in theaters.

How does it feel as Maharshi won the National Award?

I am happy to be a part of the national award winning film Maharshi. Vamsi, I and Hari together wrote the story of Maharshi.