Director Krishnavamsi is beaming, with Govindudu Andarivadele tasting box office success. “It’s rejuvenating,” he says, speaking to us on a balmy morning at Annapurna Seven Acres studio. “This gives me the confidence to make my kind of films,” he asserts. The filmmaker is also facing criticism for an oft-repeated storyline and raised a few eyebrows for a few episodes involving the women in the film. Here, he fields a few uncomfortable questions:
The story of Govindudu Andarivadele has many parallels, from Seetharamaiahgari Manavaralu to Attarintiki Daaredi . What made you tow a similar line?
Tell me one new story that has been written since Ramayana and Mahabharata.Aatma Bandhuvu (1962), Devudu Chesina Manushulu (1973), Ramarajyamlo Bheemaraju (1983), Muddula Manavaralu (1986) — which was a remake of the Tamil film Poove Poochooda Vaa — all had a similar structure of a protagonist returning to unite a family.
Then, what triggered Govindudu Andarivadele ?
Money has become a driving point in our lives. Success, power, politics and cinema — all revolve around money. We’re losing out on our relationships, sensibilities, neeti (morals) and nijayithi (integrity). I wanted to make a film that would be a reminder to our strong roots, folk arts, music and spirituality. I have also talked about brain drain, which no one is appreciating. Attarintiki Daaredi was more about Pawan Kalyan. Despite casting Ram Charan, I didn’t play to the gallery with a comedy track, punch dialogues or 30-40 people flying in the air in action sequences. Charan plays a regular youngster. I think I deserve some credit for this.
Isn’t the criticism because the audience expects more from directors like you?
This (expectation) becomes a burden. I stand by my films like Sasirekha Parinayam and Paisa , even though they didn’t do well commercially. How long can I take backlashes and not assert my point of view? With GAV , I wanted to show characters from different backgrounds — a grandfather from the village, grandson who comes from the US and the father who leaves the village to pursue a lucrative medical career.
How would you describe the director-actor rapport between you and Ram Charan?
We are the best of friends today. But we began with apprehensions because of our generation gap, my position at the box office and his star image. He confessed that he likes my films, showed confidence in me and opened up. We became good friends since the second schedule.
In one scene, Srikanth tells Kamalinee that he will rape her so that the family will have no option but agree to their marriage. Isn’t this in poor taste?
This girl (Chitra, played by Kamalinee) is an uneducated orphan living in her uncle’s house. She loves her bava (Srikanth) since childhood. He tries to convince her that rape may be the way out for them to get married and cites an example from a film. This scene also shows how cinema can influence people. The core point in this scene is that they love each other and he later turns a new leaf. Don’t look at it from a feminist point of view, from the view point of a maradhalu . She doesn’t hold grudges against him.
Ram Charan photographs Kajal at a pub and taunts her later in the film. Was this warranted?
I took this liberty since this is a bava-maradhalu relationship. As a writer, I know how this character would behave. Initially, he clicks her photograph but doesn’t pursue her even though she reveals her phone number. Only when he learns she is related to him, he teases her, perhaps to break the ice. Why take a moralistic view? These are immature youngsters. I don’t know if the audience would have accepted it if the hero had been more mature, sat across and told her why he came to the village and asked her to help him in bringing the family together.
So, do you justify these episodes in a family entertainer?
What is wrong is wrong; I won’t justify what I’ve shown.
Prakash Raj and Jayasudha’s performances have come in for a lot of appreciation and the conversation towards the climax reminds us Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham …
I loved that pati-parameshwar scene from K3G and wanted our people to get a taste of it. I am not ashamed to say that I drew inspiration from that film. As far as performances are concerned, when a filmmaker is clear about his script and what he wants his actors to do, the actors give their best.
