When most debut directors prefer a commercial subject, Krishnavasa says one will be respected in the industry only if the launch subject is sensible and artistic. He chose a period story for Anushtanam based on a novel Tyagam by Chalam. Ask him if he’s risking being branded as an art movie director and might find it difficult to get a second chance, he disagrees, “Sanjay Leela Bhansali made Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and followed it up with Devdas, Guzarish and then Ramleela which are so different from each other. Success is what matters and moreover a director should make a film with a bit of social consciousness and ethics and not just think of the hero and heroine.”
Krishnavasa, when in Chennai 28 years back worked as an assistant editor with Adurthi Hari, son of Adurthi Subba Rao. He hails from a traditional music family and learnt to play veena, shifted to Hyderabad and then worked in a serial Vasanta Kokila . He acted as a hero in Tolipata which had Madhavilata as his heroine and even scored music for that film.
An admirer of Chalam’s works, he read all his novels and wanted to make Tyagam and was toying with the idea for the past seven years. He explains the reason for the change in title, “The audience might think it is archaic and a sacrifice based subject so changed it to ‘Anushtanam’. It means sampradayam..if a Brahmin comes home you say.. nenu anushtinchi vasthanu which means you will complete the work and return.”
The story is about a wife who loves her husband so much that she steps out of the house to save his life. A year after their marriage he is introduced and addicted to a Devadasi’s company and falls in love with her. The wife wishes to reform herself and dresses up like the Devadasi but the husband says he cannot leave the Devadasi.
He, as a clerk in the bank steals Rs1500 and is fired from his job. What the wife does to save her husband forms the rest of the story.
The Devadasi played by Jayalalita is shown as a dignified woman who spends all her earnings to feed the poor. Where did they shoot and what did they do to make the ambience look realistic? “I made sure that we didn’t show any electrical poles and wires as there was no electricity those days. The kattu bottu , slang everything is picked from Chalam's book. When I saw Gazal Srinivas once at the recording studio I felt he was right for the role. Madhavilata reminds you of Jayaprada in Sirisirmuvva . This will be sent to the film festivals.”
