Major is a tribute to my childhood hero and a martyr, who served the country, says Adivi Sesh. In addition to Telugu, the film releases across India in Hindi, and as a tribute to Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan it is shot in Malayalam as well. Adivi Sesh shares the process of making the film from the time he watched the horror of 26/11 unfold on his TV screen, which he watched as a child
“On 26/11 like every other Indian I was glued to the television screen in San Francisco. I was watching with tears in my eyes and abject horror about what was happening to my home. It really shattered me. In the middle of it all I looked at this photograph that came up on the screen, of Major Sandeep. He felt familiar, like he could have been my elder brother or cousin. They are so many family members who looked like him. It stuck with me and I kept going back to the picture, his story and eventually it became my passion to understand his life,” explains Sesh on how it all began so long ago.
‘Major’ released in three languages – Telugu, Malayalam and Hindi. “It is the story of not how he died but how he lived. We also shot for the film in Malayalam as respect to his mother tongue, and Hindi because we feel the entire country has to watch it,” shares Sesh, who is excited to tell the story of his childhood hero and martyr, who gave his life saving the hostages during the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.
Going by the initial reports ‘Major’ directed by Sashi Kiran Tikka has indeed done justice to the hero.
There were several poignant moments during the shoot, reveals Adivi Sesh. “There was a moment on the sets when I was standing in front of the Gateway of India facing the huge facade of Taj that we built and a large street with around 1000 people on it and wondered about the madness we created in a hope to pay tribute to my childhood hero. I was extremely tired and it was 42 degrees outside. I was carrying this original, heavy gun for authenticity and wearing this black bullet proof caviar attracting all the heat and thought I was exhausted. Then I remembered we are doing all this for a man who had it so much tougher. And that though gave me the inspiration to move forward and we started shooting faster and harder.”
“I am not as great as he is, but I found my bit of courage from his story.”