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March 25, 2024 16:47 | Updated at 04:47 pm IST
Actor-screenwriter Siddhu Jonnalagadda talks about the eventful journey of making ‘Tillu Square’, the sequel to the hit crime comedy ‘DJ Tillu’.
Siddhu Jonnalagadda | Photo credit: Adrin Sequeira/Special Arrangement
Two years ago, before the release of the Telugu crime comedy. DJ Tilu, actor-screenwriter Siddhu Jonnalagadda told this journalist that he wanted to be the star of a 100-crore film in the next three years. The statement came from a space of trust. The 2022 Telugu comedy-drama was a huge hit and its dialogues still have memory value. When we started this interview to Tilu SquareSet to release on March 29, Siddhu laughs out loud when reminded of his statement.
The making of the sequel has not been easy at all. “It’s a mix of emotions,” he says. “DJ Tilu It was a new outing and we didn’t anticipate it would be this big. “We started the sequel with a bigger goal and it was my responsibility to carry it forward.”
Siddhu says there were some very stressful days when he questioned his decision to undertake the sequel. “There were also times when an episode turned out so well that the effort seemed worth it. At the end of the day, what matters is if I worked honestly and was not guided solely by the motive of becoming a star. “We’re all trying to tell a story in an entertaining way.”
Street culture and philosophy
The character of DJ Tillu emerged from a combination of Siddhu’s experiences and observations in the neighborhoods of Warasiguda, Chilkalguda and Malkajgiri areas of Secunderabad, with generous cinematic liberties. Siddhu describes the character as a reflection of the street culture and philosophy. “If you look closely, Tillu was philosophical beneath those layers of crazy fun. But he didn’t want to be poetic or artistic with those philosophical statements. “I chose sarcasm as a means to convey his thoughts.”
Siddhu reveals that there were no plans for a sequel. Plans were chalked out only after audiences connected with the first film. He and production company Sithara Entertainment wanted to work on another film, but decided to pursue the sequel first because it had good commercial potential. “We thought the risk would be greater, but so would the rewards. Only later did I realize that we jumped into a well without knowing its depth.”
Anupama Parameswaran and Siddhu Jonnalagadda in ‘Tillu Square’ | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Director Vimal Krishna DJ TiluMeanwhile, he was busy with another film as the sequel was not planned. Siddhu and Mallik Ram were going to work together in another film and Siddhu suggested that Mallik come in for Tillu’s sequel. The writing, Siddhu says, was a collaborative process involving Ravi Anthony, Mallik and others.
The writing took time. Siddhu wrote the first draft for six months only to throw it away and start again. “When I told the story to some people, they didn’t think it could be a sequel to DJ Tilu. When I took a step back and analyzed it, I realized they were right. I started all over again.”
Ask Siddhu how many drafts they had for the final script and he says, “Recently, when I told a friend that the film would be about two hours long, he commented that I had material for four films but I made one. That’s what we keep writing and filtering. We wrote between 600 and 700 pages. I think I’ve aged more in the last two years than I have in the last decade. Writing took a lot of effort.”
The constant attention on the making of the film made things more difficult. Siddhu points out that several changes were made even during the making of DJ Tilu but it didn’t make the headlines since not many knew about the film. “I’d like to think of all the attention and benefits that come with making a sequel to a successful movie. After a while, I decided not to give those speculations credit for my attention.”
To better focus on the writing process, Siddhu says he had to “regain awareness of my hunger to write without getting carried away by what was happening outside. We had to decide what aspects to keep from the original and what to change. “We wanted to familiarize audiences with the first film and, at the same time, offer them something new and crazier.”
Constant state of chaos
Writing, rewriting and giving input to the edit, he says, “was a constant state of chaos in my head.” There were days when she would watch a scene being filmed and think it had no place in the final edit. “Once, one of my co-stars noticed that he wasn’t doing his best while acting and asked me what was holding me back. I said maybe this scene isn’t necessary for the movie. So sometimes leakage happened on the sets.”
Tillu’s small world of his parents and friends will remain unchanged, but he will face a new series of adventures with the arrival of a new character in the form of Lilly (Anupama Parameswaran). Anupama, says Siddhu, was the first choice for the female lead. “During initial discussions, a few other names were considered. Even before we made a formal announcement, some of those names were leaked and we couldn’t stop it.”
Siddhu is aware that sequels are subject to comparisons and criticism and says, “We stick to our instincts and try to make a fun film and hope the audience likes it. Regardless of whether a movie turns out to be a blockbuster on Friday or not, we have to move on to the next movie on Monday.”
Siddhu will go ahead with an untitled film he has signed with director Nandini Reddy. Telusu Kada by costume designer turned director Neeraja Kona, Jacob with Bommarillu Bhaskar, among others. “I wanted to ensure versatility and they will be completely different from Tillu’s films. All my characters are vulnerable, they have some flaws and insecurities that make them human.”
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