For those who dream of directing, the journey can often be long and winding. Dr Suri, who made his debut with Luckyknows this all too well. After a decade-long wait, he finally returns to the director’s chair with Bagheera. “After Lucky, I was on a quest for the perfect script,” he shares, reflecting on the years. “I even had the chance to direct Yash; we were on the verge of finalising a project. But as the stories evolved, I felt that I wanted Yash to be part of something bigger.”
Curiously, one might wonder how a doctor transitioned to directing. Dr Suri explains, “My medical degree was to fulfill my father’s wish; we come from a family of doctors. But directing was my true passion, my dream all along.” With a chuckle, he adds, “And here I am!”
Bagheera has its roots in a concept by KGF director Prashanth Neel. While Suri is responsible for the screenplay, dialogue, and direction, he explains the significance of the title. “Bagheera is a name familiar in The Jungle Bookbut it also carries a Sanskrit essence. The character is a vigilante, fighting for justice at night. I thought, what better inspiration than the Black Panther? But that name is already iconic in cinema. So, I settled on Bagheerawhich holds our nativity.”
The film brings together friends who bonded over this project. Dr Suri, a good friend of Sriimurali, forged a strong connection with Prashanth Neel during the making of KGF. “If I hadn’t learned from Prashanth, I wouldn’t have evolved as a director to this level,” he confesses. “Spending ten years observing his work taught me so much.”
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