Vanga feared 'Arjun Reddy's interval wouldn't match up to 'Baahubali'
What's the story
Sandeep Reddy Vanga, the director of Arjun Reddy, recently confessed his fears about the film's interval sequence. Speaking on Jagapathi Babu's ZEE5 show Jayammu Nischayammu Raa, he revealed that he was anxious after watching the iconic interval of SS Rajamouli's Baahubali 2. "Baahubali 2 had been released then, and in my opinion, it has the greatest interval ever," he said.
Director's dilemma
Here's why he was scared
Vanga was worried that audiences wouldn't accept the unconventional interval of Arjun Reddy, where the protagonist Vijay Deverakonda's character pees himself. He said, "After watching it (Baahubali 2), I remember going back to the office and sitting at the editing table, watching my interval. I was literally scared." "When you see the audience cheering for that kind of interval...and here, he's peeing. So, I was very scared."
Director's realization
The teaser gave him confidence
Despite his initial fears, Vanga found solace in the film's teaser. "I had phases of guilt and fear leading up to the release." "By the time the teaser was released, I was confident that this character had worked," he said. Arjun Reddy, which marked Vanga's debut as a director and was a breakthrough role for Deverakonda, went on to become a massive hit despite its controversial themes.
Film comparison
'Baahubali 2' vs 'Arjun Reddy': Box office, interval scenes
While Arjun Reddy's interval scene involved Deverakonda's character hitting rock bottom, Baahubali 2 featured a grand procession with Prabhas's Amarendra Baahubali. The latter, released in April 2017, went on to become one of India's highest-grossing films with a worldwide collection of ₹1,788 crore. In contrast, Arjun Reddy was made on a budget of ₹5 crore and earned ₹51 crore worldwide, according to Sacnilk.