In the aftermath of The Great Depression in 1930s and 40s, Hollywood witnessed the evolution of ‘screwball comedy’ genre — escapist, non-stop farcical comedies, silly yet sophisticated satires that commented on social divides. Most often, there was a battle of sexes and women had an edge. Frank Capra’s It Happened One Night (1934) is cited among the most popular screwball comedies. The genre ceased to be explored as fervently in the following decades.
So our ears perked up when we learnt that writer-director Mohana Krishna Indraganti’s next, Ami Thumi , scheduled to release in June first week, is a screwball comedy. If the film’s trailer is an indication, Ami Thumi starring Sesh Adivi, Srinivas Avasarala, Eesha Rebba, Aditi Myakal and Vennela Kishore, seems to have all the ingredients of the genre.
Ami Thumi is loosely inspired (and duly acknowledged in the film) by Irish satirist Richard Brinsley Sheridan’s play, The Duenna, first staged in 1775. This is one of the fastest screenplays Mohana Krishna has written so far. The germ of an idea happened two to three years ago and the screenplay took shape early 2017.
Soon after last year’s hit thriller Gentleman , Mohana Krishna was to work with Naga Chaitanya. “We were tossing a few ideas but couldn’t arrive at something that excited both of us. Meanwhile my friend and producer Narasimha Rao wanted me to do a film. I had a rough sketch of Ami Thumi and started writing the screenplay. I finished the first draft in 20 days. Ten more drafts followed, but things were in place,” he says, talking to us during a break at Prasad Labs mixing studio.
Quirky comedy
In a Capra-esque fashion, the happenings in the film are triggered by an incident and everything unfolds in a day. “This is a story of two couples and their lives turning upside down with the arrival of a quirky fifth person,” explains the director.
Mohana Krishna likes to work with a different genre each time. “This isn’t an Astha Chamma . It’s crazier. Staying true to screwball comedy format, women drive the plot in this film,” he explains.
Eesha, Aditi and Shyamala are the three women in pivotal parts. Mohana Krishna was clear he didn’t want stars with a baggage of image for this film. Sesh Adivi, who had auditioned for Ashta Chamma , was game to collaborate after the edge-of-the-seat thriller Kshanam last year. Esha, being fluent in both Telangana and Andhra dialects of Telugu, was an obvious choice. “In this story, one family speaks Telangana dialect. I wanted all my actors to speak fluently. Eesha is brilliant in her part,” says Mohana Krishna. On his long time associate Srinivas Avasarala, he says, “I don’t think I’ll work on any film without him.”
A crucial part is essayed by Vennela Kishore, whom Mohana Krishna calls an almost ideal comic actor. “He’s subtle while doing slapstick. He takes himself seriously and is so lost in himself that he makes everyone laugh. He was a great discovery for me during Gentleman and I think I’ll work with him more often.”
A prerequisite of screwball comedies is a fast-paced screenplay that doesn’t let the audience think. “Things move swiftly. There are only two songs and the film is of 1hour 58minute duration. It’s an open comedy where the audience knows a little more than the characters themselves.”
It’s not easy fun and laughter though. “In the beginning, Ami Thumi may not look politically correct but eventually, I pull the rug to reveal what’s in store,” says the director.
Not many filmmakers have explored screwball comedies in the Indian context in recent times. Mohana Krishna cites Kamal Haasan starrers Panchathanthiram and a part of Michael Madana Kama Rajan as examples.
Of Irish playwrights
Literature, both English and Telugu, has a huge influence on Mohana Krishna’s writings. “I’ve acknowledged that Ashta Chamma was inspired by Oscar Wilde’s Importance of Being Earnest. Irish playwrights have a great sense of humour and a deep understanding of human psychology,” he says.
So far, Indraganti Mohana Krishna has always written his screenplays. “A screenplay is how you start visualising a film and it’s a lot more than describing a scenario and writing a few dialogues.”
Is he open to directing a screenplay written by someone else? “If sensibilities match, why not? Then I will be able to direct two films a year,” he laughs. Among those he has worked with, he feels Srinivas Avasarala comes close to his sensibilities. “If Srini gives me a good script, I’ll gladly work on it,” he says.
Unlike the Hindi film industry, Telugu cinema has fewer screen writers. The reason, Mohana Krishna feels, is a deep-rooted disdain for an educated approach towards writing. “When you bring in some thoughts from what you’ve read, you are branded an intellectual,” he observes. But he also understands one format doesn’t fit all. “I can’t do a mass film writing scenes praising a hero. Even if I do a mass film, I’ll do it my way. Some are good at conceiving those films and I’m happy doing things my way,” he signs off.
The comic opera: Richard Brinsley Sheridan’s ‘The Duenna’ is a three-act comic play. It was first performed at Covent Garden Theatre (Royal Opera House), London, on November 21, 1775. The play was performed 75 times in its first season.
