Yet another writer will debut as a director next year. Anil Ravipudi who penned dialogues for Masala and Aagadu turned director with a wholesome commercial entertainer Pataas starring Kalyan Ram. This film is releasing on January 1st, 2015.
Arun who has roots in the film industry stresses that he grew up on a diet of films. “As a child I remember my mother while going to the fields and showing me a cinema hall on the outskirts. I grew up watching three to four films a week; I’d listen to the movie stories that were available as audio cassettes and would narrate it dramatically to my friends. Most writers are voracious readers, but I hardly read any book; Jandhyala's films became my library; I liked the way his characters with mannerisms and behaviour, more than their dialogues, became so close to the audiences.”
His father's brother Arun Prasad who directed Gautam SSC was quite an influence on him. In fact Anil began his career as an assistant director cum writer with Gautam SSC and continued working for Shouryam, Sankham, Daruvu, Kandireega before he turned a solo writer with Masala and Aagadu . His experience in the two departments helped him gain confidence enough to narrate a story to Kalyan Ram two years ago. Once he was done with writing, he approached the actor again and they began working on the same story.
Pataas (cracker) will take Kalyan Ram's career to the next level, he says, sure that after Athanokkade this movie will be much talked about for changing the actor's image completely. “So far, Kalyan Ram had done serious films, never entertainment. When Kalyan Ram heard the story he said I would be a successful commercial director but also wondered if the story would suit him. I said I would mould him according to my requirement. He never interfered, gave me complete freedom and if the film becomes a hit or flop, the credit or blame goes entirely to me. I directed the film without a ‘scene paper’ on hand and knew every dialogue of each character and scene in hand.”
Wrapped up in 70 days, Pataas is a cop story. It’s about a corrupt cop who changes for the good . Though it runs on the Singham pattern, Anil has introduced elements of Telugu nativity and masala. The screenplay is racy and the second half of the film is his trump card, he reveals. “Cop stories are formulaic, but here you will see a few episodes you have never seen before. It is super fun. A director can know the result while making the film and during post-production, and I am excited that the re-recording has come out very well.”
Finally ask him which is tougher — writing or directing — and pat comes the reply: “Writing! A director always has his own timing and we have something else on mind. It is quite a task to register his thoughts and write the dialogues as he narrates the visual that is on his mind and make it a success.”
