Growing up in a village near Chidambaram, Usha Krishnan had no exposure to television or movies. Her father, working in a soda company, earned about Rs. 300 a day, and that was just about enough for their daily expenses.
Her school and college life followed a routine (“just studying for the sake of it”) until her second year of college. That’s when her father passed away and the girl, raised in a happy-go-lucky-way without a care about the future, was suddenly pushed into unfamiliar territory.
“I didn’t know what to do. I came to Chennai looking for a job, worked in a call centre for a few months, but realised that I wasn’t cut out for it. I couldn’t speak English well, nor was I used to life in the city,” she recalls.
It was at that time that she remembered the skits and plays she wrote and performed in, as a youngster. She was applauded for it back then (“I even won prizes”) but she knew that praise at a small gathering in a village wouldn’t translate to chances in tinsel town.
With money borrowed from her brother, Usha joined a media sciences course at Anna University and honed her communication skills.
“I wanted to get into films, but struggled to get a chance even as an assistant director. I tried out TV serials. On film sets, it is difficult for girls like me to become assistant directors — they usually choose those from families that have a background in films, or those with good communication skills.”
It was directors Suseenthiran and Pa Ranjith who encouraged her.
The former roped her in as an assistant director in Pandiya Naadu and Jeeva — experiences that helped her a great deal.
Today, Usha Krishnan has finished directing a rural family drama ( Raja Mandhiri , releasing this week), comprising characters inspired from people she saw growing up.
One of the most important characters (played by Kaali Venkat), that of a 30-something man who is ridiculed for not getting married, is inspired by her father.
“The film is primarily about brothers, played by Venkat and Kalaiarasan, and their life,” she says. It will have no villains and has a generous dose of comedy.
Next up, Usha Krishnan is working on a romance. “It will be based in a city,” is all she’s willing to say at the moment.
