Before the likes of Adivi Sesh and Siddhu Jonnalagadda forged a path into the Telugu industry by penning their own scripts or way before Pradeep Ranganathan and Rishab Shetty directed hits they also starred in, we had Srinivas Avasarala, who simultaneously donned the hats of an actor, screenwriter and director with equal ease. Srinivas broke into the limelight first with the Mohan Krishna Indraganti directorial Ashta Chamma (2008) and six years later, as a writer-director with Oohalu Gusagusalade in 2014, where he also played a supporting role. Nearly a decade later, Srinivas returns to the director’s chair with the upcoming Phalana Abbayi Phalana Ammayi (PAPA), which stars Malavika Nair and Srinivas’s frequent collaborator Naga Shaurya in the lead roles.
Fans of Oohalu Gusagusalade might still remember the mentions of Woody Allen’s Annie Hall (1977) in the film. Talking briefly about the Hollywood influences that shaped PAPA, Srinivas says, “I used to watch a lot of indie films back in the day, films from the mumblecore genre and the Before Trilogy (1995-20014), where I was fascinated with how dialogues in those films felt less scripted and more like actual conversations happening between two people in real-time.
I felt that we must also attempt that style of narrative realism in our films. When you watch the film’s trailer, which will release very soon, you will be able to see how the dialogues between the leads are very natural. Shaurya and Malavika actually improvised a lot of their lines, we did not bank on the written material or any punchlines per se. PAPA is a realistic exploration of human behaviour. It is an emotionally driven film, not a plot-driven one.”
Talking about how PAPA is different from his previous films, Oohalu Gusagusalade (2014) and Jyo Achyutananda (2016), Srinivas continues, “Every film is different, each story I write comes forward with a vibe and a style of its own. While I was writing Oohalu..., There was a lot of joy and mirth I felt, while creating this whole new world. For PAPA though, the story I wrote mirrored the world I lived in, and reflected the real-life relationships I saw happening around me. I strongly believe that stories must be written from the heart. My writing is not guided by commercial aspects. Films are more than budgets and scale, the longevity of my film matters more to me” Srinivas is also quick to correct that while his earlier films Oohalu… and Jyo Achyutananda were Rom-Coms, PAPA is a pure love story. Explaining how he stumbled across this particular title, Srinivas says, “This could be the story of any boy and girl. The story is closely rooted in the reality of our everyday, modern relationships. Hence the title Phalana Abbayi Phalana Ammayi.”
Talking more about the film’s structure, Srinivas continues, “PAPA has seven chapters, which take us through the relationship of this boy and girl over the period of a decade. The film starts when they are 18 and continues till they are 28. The story is set in both India and the UK. Reflecting on how the pandemic delayed his film’s production, Srinivas says, “We had to wait for 3 years before we could get on sets again. We completed the UK portions in 2022 with covid-appropriate protocols. But since we are dealing with the journeys of our lead actors at different ages, shooting after a couple of years was helpful in its own way I suppose”Srinivas has worked with actors Naga Shaurya and music composer Kalyani Malik in the three films he directed so far, including PAPA.
Speaking about his frequent collaborators, Srinivas says, “I have known Kalyan Malik since Ashta Chamma, but I have begun to understand him creatively only during Oohalu... Over the years, our bond has only increased, with growing familiarity and deeper communication” Talking about Naga Shaurya, Srinivas continues, “One of the best things about Shaurya is, he is a very passionate actor. He was just starting out in films when we did Oohalu…, Now, he brings a lot of experience and maturity to the table as a performer. He has a chance, now, to disagree with me, to tell me he can do things differently, but he aligns with my vision with the same dedication he did a decade ago. I love how he constantly strives to improve his craft.”
Srinivas has a web series Kanyasulkam, starring Anjali, Naresh, Murali Sharma and Varsha Bollamma, coming up next month. How does Srinivas feel about the rise of OTT releases and its impact on smaller films like PAPA, “Whenever I try to contact any cinematographer or editor or any technician for work these days, they are all busy. The industry today has way more work than it has ever had before. Everybody being this busy is a good thing. One must change with the times and consider OTT platforms as a boon, not a bane” closing the interview on a positive note.