Dialogue, story and screenplay writer Thotapalli Madhu has reminded directors that there is a talented artiste in him by enacting a role of drunkard father in Cinema Chupista Mava . Madhu had worked for 189 films and had done cameo appearances for Mohan Babu and Dasari Narayana Rao once in a while.
He says, “Now I've decided to be a full time artiste. I worked for 27 writers and I know the problems of producers and the 24 crafts, I have seen what goes into the making of a film.
By narrating for every film I picked up acting; I even acted as a five year old. I have written for legendary films like Ankusham, Mamagaru, President Gari Pellam, Yamudiki Mogudu etc and also for Tamil, Kannada and Hindi films. My grandfather Thotapalli Ramachandraiah was a zamindar and a poet; I did BA in Economics and Telugu Literature and my work has been only reading, narrating and acting. May be arts and acting is in the DNA says my mother, whenever I would enact characters in a play.” Madhu recollects writing a play for a Mahila Mandali even while he was in the third standard.
Madhu says one cannot separate him from cinema. He is only a neeti bottu in a samudram that is cinema, but he cannot come out of it and he belongs there. Isn't the industry famous for courting only successful people? “It is better if we embark on this journey without expectations, that way there will be no disappointments. I have never been insecure; I wrote for 189 films including remake. As an artiste, I tell the writers of that film that I will not interfere as I know the kashtam (hard work) of a writer. Writers are now coming with an expiry date, best before 12 months. They are used when they are hot and happening otherwise they need to take care of themselves."
He adds, “Paruchuri Brothers were popular once, after that the trend changed. I came and kept up my brand. In one year I had written 22 films and broke a record. Those days we would use a few English words in the dialogues, these days we use Telugu words in English dialogues.
But there is a healthy trend now; we are getting to see clean entertainers. Fifteen years back there was more double entendre. “
Speaking of another trend, he says, “Only negative people are inspired or copy Korean films; thinking original has become rarity. We are finding a similarity in scripts. Anusarana manchidi, anukarana ibbandhi pedthundhi..sonthanga alochinchatam manchidemo . (Following is good, imitating creates problems, maybe its good to think originally) .”
