HYDRABAD: VI Anand, the writer-director of Ekkadiki Pothavu Chinnavada (2016), Okka Kshanam (2017), Disco Raja (2020) and the upcoming film Ooru Peru Bhairavakona, has built a name for himself as a filmmaker with a proclivity for genre-centric cinema in an industry that prides itself on churning strategically packaged entertainers that seek to cater to multiple demographics in a single film.
When enquired upon what inspires the director, Anand recounts a childhood quest. “I have always been curious about what happens to a person after death. There is so much more to life, beyond what we know and comprehend. My curiosity towards finding answers to the unknown propelled me towards exploring supernatural, extraterrestrial and mystical themes through my stories. What if someone dead springs back to life? This question formed the plot of Disco Raja. Similarly, what if a spirit returns to Earth in search of her loved ones? This led me to Ekkadiki Pothavu Chinnavada and so on. I personally believe in the concept of atma and reincarnation. There are no hard and fast answers, but one keeps exploring throughout their life.”
The director cites the puranas when enquired about the genesis of Ooru Peru Bhairavakona. He replies, “A story is a culmination of a set of abstract musings. When I travel in trains and look at these little hamlets pass by, I always wonder, what kind of people live here? What are their customs like? On the other hand, my interest in life after death lead me towards reading many books. One of those books is the Garuda Purana. The Vaishnavaite tome on the afterlife talks about how a soul travels to 16 different cities outside the Earthly realm before getting reincarnated or before attaining salvation. Each city is meant to teach a specific lesson to the soul, be it on kindness, purpose or forgiveness. The story of an Ooru Peru Bhairavakona was borne out of a juxtaposition of these ideas. What if a man went to a far-off, abnormal village mired in the myth of the Garuda Purana, along with some other esoteric traditions? What if he faces some insurmountable challenges that he is compelled to resolve because he is the chosen one? The film takes place over the course of two nights. There is also a robbery thrown in the mix of these progressively escalating conflicts.”
An architect by training, VI Anand reveals that he relies on sketching as a tool for storytelling and concurrently, worldbuilding. “My visual thinking is immediate and intuitive. More often than not, I convert the visuals that appear in my dreams into production design. In Ooru Peru Bhairavakona, there is one particular set. It is too early to reveal which one, but it has steps and an archway. This came from my dream. Sometimes, I do not even realise an idea came to me in my dreams, till I have sketched it out to my designer.” Speaking about Ooru Peru Bhairavakona in particular, Anand continues, “Outside of visual references, we drew upon secondary research to develop the world of Bhairavakona, a fictitious hamlet. The town, as you will get to witness in the film, is filled with unique rituals and traditions.”
Anand is clear about where his film stands, genre-wise. “Ooru Peru Bhairavakona is a proper fantasy film. What we usually use in films marketed in the fantasy genre are narratives that keep teasing the fantasy aspect, which also emerges to the fore in the film’s last act. They are actually mysteries, with fantasy entering the picture only as the mystery is clearing up. But Ooru Peru...is a fantasy from start-to-finish. We are not beating around the bush.” says Anand. Speaking about the film’s extensive use of VFX, he says, “45 minutes of the film is just VFX. We have taken the support of Hyderabad-based VFX company B2H. Our team has been working with them over the last eight-nine months, conceptualising the film’s distinctive world.”
With any director dealing with genre-centric films, the question of how they manage to adhere to the conventions of their chosen genre while making the story palatable and accessible to the masses, comes to one’s mind? What is VI Anand’s take on this balancing act a filmmaker is oft tasked with? He replies, “If you get the basics of the story right, it will cater to everyone. I don’t think specifically in terms of how to make a story more appealing to people. I keep aside such external inhibitions, atleast while writing my first draft. What I instead do is, devote my focus towards ensuring that the protagonist’s reasons and motivations are strong enough. These reasons need to make one root for the hero. And the reasons must be countered with a conflict. The stronger the challenge, the more exciting it gets.I try to make everything harder for the hero. As a writer, I am the hero’s villain.”
When enquired about his future projects, the director maintains that he will continue to make more fantasy and supernatural films. Anand says, “I have pitched some scripts to OTT platforms, waiting for a green signal. In addition to writing my own stories, I am also listening to scripts in the fantasy space. I will be directing a film for Sunitha Tati’s Guru Films, that project is currently in the writing stage, they are writing the final draft now. I am also writing a film for Nikhil Siddhartha and a big actor, whose name I cannot reveal now.”