Noted Tollywood filmmaker G Ashok is gearing up for the release of his maiden Hindi film Durgamati, a remake of his 2018 blockbuster Bhaagamathie. The Bhumi Pednekar-starrer, which is slated to be released digitally on Amazon Prime Video on December 13, has created a fair deal of buzz among fans for a variety of reasons. With the film making the right noises, here are four things one needs to know about its director:
Talent personified: G Ashok, who was born in Andhra Pradesh's Ongle, acted in 16 movies as a child artiste before beginning his professional journey. He has trained in 13 different classical dance forms during his formative years, developing a keen interest in the arts.
Also read: 4 reasons why a ‘direct to digital’ release might work in favour of Bhumi Pednekar’s ‘Durgamati’
Making an impact: The 'man of many talents' gained a fair deal of attention when his acclaimed documentary Nava Jeevan, which dealt with the problems faced by street children, was screened at several film festivals. In 2007, he received a Nandi award for the children's film Ushodayam.
Unimpressive start: His career started on a disappointing note as his first major release Aakasa Ramanna failed to live up to expectations. The film, touted to be a black comedy, featured Allari Naresh in the lead and revolved around the what happens when a young man tries to arrange money for his girlfriend. It was an adaptation of the Hollywood movie 11:14.
Ups and downs: G Ashok found success with the Nani's Pilla Zamindar, giving strong proof of his talent. The movie received a positive response from fans and made a decent impact at the box office. He, however, failed to capatalise on the break as Sukumarudu and Chitrangada did not do as well as expected. Sukumarudu, starring Aadi and Nisha Aggarwal, revolved around the romantic journey of a rich young man. The Anjali-starrer Chitrangada, on the other hand, was the story of a professor who decides to explore the world of spirits.
The phenomenal response to Bhaagamathie helped him make up for the setbacks.