Gopala Gopala

About the film

Gopala Gopala is a 2015 Indian Telugu-language satirical comedy drama film directed by Kishore Kumar Pardasani. The film is produced by D. Suresh Babu and Sharrath Marar under the Suresh Productions and North Star Entertainment banners. It stars Venkatesh in the lead role alongside Pawan Kalyan in an extended cameo appearance while Shriya Saran, Mithun Chakraborty, Ashish Vidyarthi and Posani Krishna Murali play supporting roles. The film is a remake of the 2012 Hindi film OMG – Oh My God! which was itself based on the Gujarati stage play Kanji Viruddh Kanji which is in turn inspired from 2001 Australian film The Man Who Sued God.

It follows the story of an atheist, Gopala Rao (Venkatesh), who sues God after losing his shop in an earthquake. Religious organisations revolt against him and Lord Vishnu visits him as his human guide, under his incarnation Krishna (Kalyan).

Plot

Kanneganti Gopala Rao, an atheist and successful businessman, lives with his deeply religious wife Meenakshi and their school-aged son Moksha. He owns a store that sells the idols of Hindu Gods and has prospered in his business. Gopala Rao disrupts a dangerous ritual organized by the fraudulent Godman Siddheswar Maharaj, prompting a furious Maharaj to threaten him with dire consequences.

His life takes a turn when an earthquake destroys his shop, which was mortgaged and laden with loans. The insurance company denies his claim, citing the disaster as an "Act of God," leaving Gopala Rao in dire financial straits. He attempts to sell the land where his shop was located, but the property is deemed "impure" due to the shattered idols.

In a bid for justice, Gopala Rao decides to sue God, a move that shocks his wife and is met with skepticism from legal professionals. He eventually secures the help of Akbar Khan, a disabled lawyer, who agrees to assist him under the provision of the Indian Constitution that allows self-representation if no lawyer is available. Gopala Rao's lawsuit garners attention, and he names self-styled Godmen — Leelaladhara Swamy, Siddheswar Maharaj and Gopika Matha — as representatives of God in the case.

Production

In early April 2013, the Paruchuri Brothers informed the media that they were in the final stages of acquiring the remake rights of Umesh Shukla's OMG – Oh My God! (2012) and that work on the script would begin afterwards. It was also said that Ravi Teja would play the role of Krishna in this film, originally played by Akshay Kumar, and that the official confirmation of the film would come within a week. OMG – Oh My God! itself was an adaptation of the Gujarati play Kanji Viruddh Kanji. D. Suresh Babu acquired the remake rights in mid November 2013 and Venkatesh was confirmed to be a part of the film's principal cast. Kishore Kumar Pardasani was selected to direct the film.

After much speculation, Suresh Babu confirmed to the media in mid-February 2014 that Pawan Kalyan would play the role of Krishna and Sharrath Marar would be co-producing the film with North Star Entertainment. After considering the titles Deva Devam Bhaje and Gopala Gopala, the latter was finalised just before its formal launch on 9 June 2014 at Hyderabad. Anoop Rubens was confirmed to replace Sohail Sen as the music director. Jayanan Vincent was selected to handle the cinematography, despite reports stating that P. C. Sreeram would be doing the job.

Venkatesh and Rajendra Prasad were initially reported to reprise the roles of Akshay Kumar and Paresh Rawal from the original. Venkatesh was later confirmed as playing the role played by Paresh Rawal and Vikram was approached for the role of Krishna. Pawan Kalyan was engaged for the same part later on. Venkatesh personally researched and purchased his outfits., incorporating a number of differently-coloured short kurtas into his costume. He ended up with more than 40 changes onscreen.

Themes and influences

The film is an official remake of the 2012 Hindi film OMG – Oh My God! directed by Umesh Shukla which tells the story of an atheist who sues God for causing an earthquake in which he loses his shop. The film focuses mostly on exploiting people's faith in the name of business and money-making. Daggubati Venkatesh said in an interview to The Hindu that this film would focus on the tensions between Indian rituals and spirituality. In the film, the deity involved, Krishna, teaches the atheist protagonist to use the principles of the Bhagavad Gita, Bible and Quran to win his case. A song introducing the atheist's character, his family and his views on rituals was added in which was not a part of the original.

Several new scenes were included in the Telugu version, including two songs. The film also deals with the issue of fake godmen. Daggubati Venkatesh said in an interview with Suresh Kavirayani of the Deccan Chronicle, "We all know about these people. Media also publishes stories about them all the time. We wanted to create some awareness among the people, so we touched on the theme of fake godmen. But there are genuine people too, who give wonderful messages and enlighten people with their preaching". The lyrics of the song Enduko Enduko question the superstitions people believe in.

Dialogues written for and uttered by Kalyan's character in the film were linked to the politics of Andhra Pradesh. Comments such as "Nenu time ki raavadam kaadu tammudu, nenu vachake time avutondi" ("I don't come on time; time starts when I come") and "Samardhulu intlo undipothe asamardhulu rajyamelutaru" ("The incompetent will rule if the competent stay at home") appeared to refer to the change in government and Kalyan's own entry into politics.

Key details