Director Satish Vegesna’s National-award winning family entertainer Shatamanam Bhavati (2017), which depicts the emotional saga of estranged children reuniting with their parents and place, has fired up several Telugu filmmakers to make many such films. His other release, Srinivasa Kalyanam (2018) that highlights the importance of marriage didn’t make the cut, even though it had a promising premise. Currently, his hands are full with the promotion of his Sankranthi release Entha Manchivaadavuraa (EM), a remake of Gujarati film Oxygen (2018). “The feeling is similar to that of the release of Shatamanam Bhavati, which arrived in cinemas around the same time a couple of years ago,” says the director, who made his mark as a feel-good filmmaker.
While making EM, Satish says that he rewrote the script and introduced new characters to suit his storyline. “I would like to call it an adaptation with a fresh script. One day, I got a call from producers Sivalenka Krishna Prasad and Umesh Gupta, asking me if I would be interested in remaking Oxygen in Telugu. I watched the movie and fell in love with the soul of the film. The thematic appeal was near universal and the lead character had a gamut of emotions. I think these aspects have prompted me to take up this film,” says Satish.
Like his earlier outings, EM too had bewitching frames capturing the pristine charms of the Godavari region. “I belong there and the story needed this local setting. I felt it would be authentic to depict the emotions in a milieu I am quite familiar with,” he says. Moving on to his protagonist Kalyan Ram, Satish says he is that lovable youngster one comes across in every neighbourhood. “Acharya is a do-gooder who spreads joy, empathy and compassion to his fellow beings. His character offers a lot of humour and some bitter-sweet moments,” reveals Satish.
The writer-turned-director says that the film emphasises on the importance of human-human relationships in our lives. “In a fast-changing world, emotional aspects are getting neglected and our relationship with parents or other family members is getting reduced merely to a phone call. At times we do understand the feeling of others but are not finding a way to share our feelings or communicate our thoughts. There’s a need to view the problem of others from a human lens and show compassion, benevolence and kindness. This is what the movie is all about,” he explains.
The discussion veers towards his last release, Srinivasa Kalyanam, which has drawn criticism for getting overtly preachy about the sanctity of marriage. Tearing into that veil of diplomacy, the director admits, “The film failed miserably at the box-office and I still remember it being compared to a wedding video by our critics. Somehow we failed to catch the pulse of our audience and I now realised that the story didn’t have a universal appeal like Shatamanam Bhavati.
We deviated from the usual and too much sermonising about the importance of marriage in an era of live-in relationships didn’t work at all. However, keeping the failure in mind, I have taken a detour from feel-good entertainers to commercial cinema. So with renewed interest, I have made sure that the upcoming one has a balance of aesthetics, foot-tapping songs and adrenaline-pumping action.”
The film, which releases on January 15, is set to clash with Allu Arjun’s Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo and Mahesh Babu-starrer Sarileru Neekevvaru at the box office. Satish feels that his film has gotten a set of audience, who are fond of his work.
“The festive season is like a consumer exhibition which offers many avenues for entertainment. While many people like to take a ride in giant Ferris wheels, there will be a group waiting for a ride in merry-go-round as well. Likewise, my film too will reach the target audience,” avers Satish. So what’s next? “I am planning to start my next film in a month or two. Besides EM, I am making sure to have another release this year,” he declares.
The director’s son, Sameer is gearing up for his acting debut soon. “My son is interested in pursuing a career as an artist in the industry. He was mentored by late Devadas Kanakala and is currently learning horse riding. I never had a launching pad. So, I want him to learn the ropes and find a place for himself in the industry. I can give him a piece of advice. Right now, I have no plans to launch him,” signs off Satish who awaits his new release during Sankranthi.
muralikrishna.db@newindianexpress.com @onlymurali