By the end of George Reddy, I am sure audience will be teary-eyed: Sandeep Madhav

Excerpts from the conversation:

How did you prepare for George Reddy?

The prep was to look like George Reddy. The movie covers his life from the age of 22 to 25. So to look that age, I had to put on some weight and later, shed some too. Other than that, I learnt and practised a few other things, including boxing.

What aspect of this story inspired you the most?

I liked the character. Right after listening to the script, I started reading books and articles about him. I always thought of doing a character of a student leader, but I never thought that it would come so early in my career.

How did you approach the character of George Reddy?

In the case of George Reddy, we found only one video of him on YouTube. It was a BBC documentary named Crisis in the Campus. So, except that video and two photos of him, I had nothing to learn or imbibe about his personality. I tried to understand his body-language through these limited resources and implemented it based on my understanding. I also interacted with people who were well aware of his behaviour and thoughts.

Will the movie stay true to true to life?

We took creative liberty as per the need of the film, but have been true to the facts as well.

We did not accommodate elements just for the sake of making this film a commercial film. As a team, we thought George’s life was in itself extremely interesting and entertaining.

The shooting of George Reddy took two years to get completed. Were you worried?

My friends and well-wishers cautioned me that I got stuck in a biopic. However, I never worried about it because I knew about the output.

By the end of the film, what was your perspective on George Reddy?

By the end of the story, I am sure audience will be teary-eyed. I felt bad that we missed such a personality. Had he been alive today, India would have been in a different state. He would have taken ISRO to another level. However, he refused to join ISRO to continue his education at the university.

Directed by Jeevan Reddy, George Reddy is set to hit screens on November 22.