Tollywood’s first superhero flick HanuMan has scripted history with its phenomenal success. In its 20-day theatrical run, the movie has grossed over Rs 278 crore. While the entire cast and crew are being lauded for delivering an exceptional cinematic experience, a youth from Odisha also shares the credit for such an unbelievable achievement.
Odia youth Milan Nayak, son of Rama Chandra Nayak and a BTech graduate, hailing from Rayagada, worked as an Assistant Director in HanuMan. Though he had worked in four movies earlier, HanuMan has given him a new identity.
As a young kid, Milan was very much interested in working in movies as his father used to be an actor in stage dramas. Later, to make his dreams true, Milan stepped into the entertainment industry.
“He was very much interested in films as a young kid and as parents we supported him. Step by step, he achieved his aims and success. It is for his hard labour he was able to achieve his targets. We are extremely happy. We wish, he continues his journey and keeps on achieving success”, said Milan’s father Rama Chandra Nayak.
While speaking exclusively to OTV, Milan recalled his initial days of struggle and said, “From the last 6 to 7 years, I’ve been working in the film industry. At first, I went to Mumbai from Rayagada and then moved to Hyderabad. My entire struggle was to become a film director, and it was worth it. At that time, all my friends had settled in my life, but, I hadn’t.”
Sharing his experience of working in HanuMan, he added, “This is indeed a matter of great happiness for me. I am extremely elated that I was a part of the HanuMan movie. I am very happy that the film is doing very good and, in the long run, it will be a part of the Rs 500 crore club.
Further, briefing about his responsibilities in HanuMan, he added, “The responsibility of an Assistant Director in a movie is very crucial. While the director overall designs a project, it is the responsibility of the assistant director to make sure that everything is done as per schedule. This includes the actors' arrival on sets at a particular time, making sure that other crew members arrive on time.”
"Definitely, an Assistant Director has major responsibilities. A good director with a bad assistant director cannot deliver. But, with a team of good Assistant Directors, an average director can happily achieve big things. It was teamwork and I would thank director Prasanth Varma for including me in the project. He had confidence in me, and I as well as others in the team met his expectations with our hard work,” he concluded.
Milan started his work as an assistant director in Mumbai. Initially, he worked in low-budget movies like Look and Modiji Ki Beti. Next, he moved to Hyderabad and worked in two movies. Though Milan’s hasn’t pursued any professional filmmaking courses, his previous experience of working in movies paid off with HanuMan.