Sarangapani Jathakam, the latest directorial by Mohana Krishna Indraganti, tells the story of a middle-class man whose belief in astrology leads him down a path of wild adventures. The writer-director begins by clarifying that he doesn’t intend to make a statement on astrology itself or those who follow it. He adds, “I am not questioning the believers. My intent is not to create any unnecessary controversy. Through this story, I just want to present in a comical way the idea that normal belief makes us strong, but excessive belief makes us do crazy things. My film is about how an ordinary middle-class man behaves and how scared he gets when a crime occurs in his life—it can even be called the first ‘astrological crime comedy”’.
The dearth of comedies in recent times compelled Mohana Krishna Indraganti to make Sarangapani Jathakam. He adds, “Earlier there were at least five to six full-fledged comedy films every year, which has now drastically reduced. We are slowly moving towards action. Even the few comedies we are making are not story- or character-orientated; they are driven by incidents or social media-style humour. I had the idea for Sarangapani for 5-6 years but decided to develop it only in November 2023 when I noticed this gap.” Even with the few comedies that are being made today, Mohana Krishna is not a big fan of risqué humour driving the trend and has no qualms expressing his displeasure. The filmmaker elaborates, “Just like action, sex too has become fun. There has to be wit in our films. I like risqué humour too—Jandhyala gaaru would crack an occasional risqué joke—but the audience needs to know there are other kinds of genres in comedy. Eventually, the comedies we remember are not the risqué ones.”
The director, who has a lot of thoughts and curiosity about the changing patterns of the audience’s taste, ruminates, “The average mindset that they have is that if they are paying Rs 300, the film has to be a 1000 crore grosser (laughs). If it’s a 5 crore grosser, it deserves an OTT viewing. They have stopped considering that a film with minimal production value too can perhaps offer a lifetime experience. When they hear about films like Middle Class Melodies or Laapataa Ladies, they instantly think, ‘We can watch this on OTT.’ There is a great obsession now with visual and aural experience, IMAX, and Dolby Atmos.”
Yet, the filmmaker believes comedy to be one of the rare genres where audiences are willing to come to theatres without worrying about other factors. He notes, “Everybody’s in a race to create a spectacle, a sensory experience based on fantasy, a film far from our real world. However, the audience is missing out on real-life experiences in this race. Meanwhile, Sarangapani Jathakam is grounded in reality—be it the conversations, characters, or the production design.”
Talking about other barriers for current filmmakers, Mohana Krishna states, “There are 500 phones between us and the screen now. Earlier, we used to immerse ourselves in the on-screen world. Now, a new world exists between the two. The joy of community viewing has been replaced.” The filmmaker also sees this as an opportunity to raise the bar for storytelling. He adds, “That audience, which treated theatrical visits as a pastime activity, is gone. They have more options now, so you have to deliver a quality product, something with genuine creative originality.”
Mohana Krishna, who is known for making light-hearted films, had ventured into action with his 2020 film V, which had a direct-to-OTT release and received mixed reviews. It was around the same time when the theatrical business saw a major overhaul, with action movies returning to rule the box office charts in an overwhelming manner. The director recalls witnessing the evolving pattern and feeling unnerved about the change. “On-screen violence should come out of desperation, building on emotion—when a system fails and a hero replaces it, people like it. It’s a pedestrian dream. However, violence has become entertaining for people now. I look at others enjoying grotesque violence and feel like asking them, ‘How is this helping you forget your woes? Shouldn’t this disturb you?’” he reflects.
The director admits feeling the need to adjust with changing times. Further reflecting on the post-COVID trends, he notes, “When Aa Ammayi Gurinchi Meeku Cheppali, my next film after V, failed, I sat and reflected on my work. There are struggles in adapting to the changing times, and it also takes time to assess and realign yourself. But you must think and reflect; it’s your responsibility—audiences are our only strength.” Mohana Krishna states that Sarangapani Jathakam is a conscious attempt in this direction. “People still remember the humour offered by Sammonaham. People who grew up with Ashta Chamma remember it fondly. What I enjoy is comedy, and Sarangapani Jathakam is my way of returning to current times and writing a script keeping this generation in mind. I can start a fresh conversation with my audience. You can’t win every time, but you have to keep trying,” he says.
Mohana Krishna also spills the beans on Jataayu, a project that has been a long time in the news. He clarifies that it’s not an adaptation of Ramayana, as rumoured to be. “It’s an action-adventure with a mythical touch. I have had the idea since 2010 and penned it with a lot of detail. If it ever happens, I will direct it myself,” he concludes.