Although he came up with the screenplay for Bagheera, writer-director Prashanth Neel has disclosed that director Dr. Suri took the original concept and turned it into a cinematic masterpiece. Neel praised Suri for taking the picture to a new level and making it his own, emphasizing that the movie that viewers will see on screen is the result of his vision and hard work. Neel, who has already seen Bagheera, commended Suri for his brave choice to save the movie’s most memorable scenes from the trailer so that they could be seen in theaters. “Usually, when we cut trailers, we try to put the best shots in them,” Neel said. “It was Suri’s bold move, I think, not to include all the best shots. I have seen the movie, and it’s far, far better than the trailer.”
According to reports, Suri worked on the screenplay for more than two years, turning Neel’s original idea into a sophisticated narrative with actor Sriimurali as the lead. “I can give you an idea, but it’s the director who envisions it as a movie,” Neel said, expressing admiration for Suri’s artistic process. Suri told me he liked the idea and wants to work on it during our conversation. He took it from there and turned it into the wonder you see in theaters.
“100 percent of what’s in the movie is his,” Neel added, underscoring Suri’s ownership of the project. If the film is wonderful, he deserves all the accolades, and if it’s horrible, he deserves all the criticism,” he joked. Neel explained that his contribution to the project was restricted to confirming Suri’s concepts while they were being written, much like his previous partnerships with Srimurali on Ugramm, Yash on KGF, and Prabhas on Salaar.
Neel said, “Bagheera began as a different idea in my head.” However, Suri’s execution and progression are just outstanding. His signature is on it.
Bagheera, which is being produced by Hombale Films, will be released in theaters on October 31.
