A fortnight ago, when the Telugu rap song ‘Mem cinema theesinam’ (‘we made a film’) by composer Roll Rida and director-actor Tharun Bhascker was unveiled, it made Telugu film buffs pause and notice. The wry humour in the song held a mirror to the travails independent filmmakers go through, swimming against the tide with shoestring budgets. The song was from the new film Manishi Brathuku Inthe directed by newcomer Varun Reddy.
The film is in its post production and Varun is considering releasing the film on an OTT platform in a few weeks from now.
“Like any new artiste in cinema, I was spending time learning the craft. Only a few people, like director S S Rajamouli for example, know to read the minds of the audience. I’ve been working on this film but had no idea how people are likely to respond. The feedback to this rap song has been so encouraging. Getting Tharun (who’s become a beacon of hope for independent filmmakers, after his debut film Pelli Choopulu ) to rap for us helped. Despite being a busy person he readily obliged,” says Varun, when we begin talking for this interview.
Manishi Brathuku Inthe began as the story of a guy who battles depression and gradually evolved into a romantic comedy. Varun says he approached the sensitive topic of depression in a light-hearted manner, while staying true to the emotion and not belittling issues related to mental health.
The film stars newcomers Revanth and Bhagyashree. Varun is confident that the script and the lead actors’ performances will appeal to the viewers.
Revanth and Bhagyashree in the film
Varun talks about Bhagyashree more as a collaborator for the project rather than only the lead female actor. “I wanted someone who’s really good at comedy. She’s from NSD (National School of Drama) and when we jammed together for a scene, I discovered we had similar tastes. She’s an excellent actor and also helped with the writing,” he mentions.
During the conversation, I was curious to know if Varun is yet another engineer who has moved towards filmmaking. He laughs and says, “I am an architect from JNTU (Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Hyderabad). I worked in Bengaluru for two years and loved architecture. In fact I think some of the architectural principles of design and structure are useful for film. I took to filmmaking and realised how much more I love it.”
Before filmmaking, he had applied for a course at National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, and was placed in the 17th rank; there were only 15 seats. “That missed opportunity still haunts me,” he admits.
Varun enrolled in a short-term course and then a two-year course in screenplay writing and direction at the Annapurna College of Film and Media, Hyderabad, and specially mentions two faculty members, Gauri Nori and Ashok Jhankar whose classes he cherished.
He found the film school experience more regimented, teaching the basics of the craft and film history and preparing students for a studio experience, while in reality, aspiring filmmakers begin with lofty dreams and just a friend or two who believe in them.
There was a time when Varun thought he could make a film with just ₹2 lakh, and use every penny creatively. “Of course, our budget is much more than that. With better funding, there’s the scope to get better actors, narrative, everything…” he says.
Manishi Brathuku Inthe is being edited by Varun and team and as a parting shot, he says, “We’ve made a film that’s worthy of being screened in theatres and I’m proud of my film. But given the pandemic situation, we don’t know how things will turn out. If I am able to reach the target audience through digital platforms, I am open to that option.”
