Cups of coffee keep him going as he clocks in long hours prior to the release of his film. Donning dual hats of an actor and producer for Naruda Donoruda , Sumanth confesses that if they’ve shot the film over 60 days, as a producer he’s been at work for over 160 days. “My respect for hands-on producers has gone up by a notch,” he laughs.
His last release was in 2014 and he admits that some of his films weren’t up to the mark. Sumanth’s last memorable outing was Golconda High School .
When he was on the look out for a project that would break away from the routine, he had watched Vicky Donor and was impressed. But, he had heard of other actors expressing their wish to take up the project, and steered clear.
Later, watching Vicky Donor ( VD ) on television, he observed how his grandfather, late ANR, enjoyed it and exclaimed why such films aren’t made in Telugu. Then, Sumanth discovered that no one else had purchased the rights and got in touch with his friend, actor and producer John Abraham. “Until then, I had been telling directors that I’d like to do something like VD , and even got tired of waiting for good scripts,” he says.
The next few months, Sumanth mooted the idea of a remake to filmmakers, most of whom were hesitant. Sumanth firmly believes the idea is relevant and in the zone of a mainstream film. “I know friends who’ve been to infertility centres. Sperm donation isn’t new; it’s just that no one likes to talk about it,” he asserts.
Time to move on
To take up the role, it helped that Sumanth wasn’t stuck with an image. “People don’t know I have a cheeky, self-depreciating sense of humour. Many think I’m still on that boat (Sekhar Kammula’s Godavari ) or coaching a bunch of kids to play cricket (Mohanakrishna Indraganti’s Golconda High School ). Those kids have grown up now,” he laughs.
Sumanth insists Naruda … isn’t a frame to frame rehash of VD and along with writers Kittu and Sagar, ensured that the screenplay is fun yet dignified. “It was like walking on razor’s edge. Casting Tanikella Bharani helped hugely; we both pitched in with dialogues,” he says.
Sumanth turned to Mallik Ram, who had worked as an assistant director for Indraganti Mohanakrishna, Srinivas Avasarala and with the production team of Baahubali , to direct the film. The actor had seen Mallik’s short film I’ll Fly Away , shot in black and white, capturing the emotional turmoil of a couple whose marriage is disintegrating and felt he would be apt to deal with the later portions of Naruda …, when the humour gives way to emotional and introspective moments.
The later portions, he reveals, have been reworked from the original. Actor Srilakshmi plays the mother’s role, done with aplomb by Dolly Ahluwalia in Hindi.
Talking to Sumanth, it’s evident that he likes to work at his pace, unmindful that he’s a part of fewer films. He credits this attitude to his grandfather. “I learnt from him that it’s important to give your best at work and also be happy with what life gives you. While I wait for quirky original scripts, I also know that if needed, I can go out and initiate a film, like I’ve done this time,” he says. Films like Dev D, Badlapur and Dum Laga Ke Haisha are on his radar.
The ups and downs of his career notwithstanding, Sumanth cherishes his decision to leave engineering midway and join Columbia College, Chicago, to study film direction. “I wish I hadn’t wasted two academic years in engineering,” he quips. On the bright side, those two years in Michigan was where he made friends for life.
As we wind up, he expresses gratitude that Naruda’s trailer garnered over 4.5 million views. “We’ve tried to keep the dialogues, emotions natural. We shot in BHEL Colony for Vicky’s house and most of the scenes unfold in true-to-life locations,” he shares.
As a parting shot, he reckons that he’s open to both bouquets and brickbats for this project.
