Prior to Shatamanam Bhavati ’s release, there weren’t any expectations from director Satish Vegesna. As a writer, hardly anyone knew him and the few films he had directed earlier didn’t do very well. The success of the film changed all that. Once Srinivasa Kalyanam went to the sets, he found the pressure mounting. “After Shatamanam ...’s release I had a few stories of different genres with me, but well-wishers insisted I do a film targeted at a family audience. Even now whenever the film is telecast on channels, people call to tell me it is like watching a new film all over again. That is when I began writing the script,” he explains.
Shatamanam... worked during the festive season, now we are heading towards another one. Does he expect people to throng to theatres in the same numbers? Satish talks about the emotional connect that drove people to watch the film, “We might have made more money due to the festive season but keeping the BO collections aside, I would attribute the success and repeat audience to the emotional connection. It had a wide reach. In Srinivasa Kalyanam too, marriage is an important moment. It is not an event..it is a beautiful moment, is the tagline. I would call it a commitment and heralding of a new generation. In this film, I deal with the importance this generation gives to the institution of marriage.”
Ask him if it’s going to be a discourse on marriage and he laughs and says,“Not at all!” and goes on to remind that even in Shatamanam Bhavati there were no preachy dialogues. This too will have a good mixture of romance and family emotions. He points out, “You will be reminded of all the moments in the wedding of a family member. The importance one gives to a wedding and the happiness that grows manifold when an entire family attends the celebration is shown. Also, there is a scene where we show that a married woman doesn’t expect properties and money but looks forward to spending some valuable time with her husband. We underlined how good it will be if married people conduct themselves in a particular fashion.” Jayasudha who plays grandmother to the hero, talks about the beauty and importance of a marriage and he forms an opinion on it.
Satish Vegesna says he isn’t advocating ostentatious weddings. “Small aspects like going to a wedding merely to ‘mark your attendance’ or just heading towards the ‘food section’ should be done away with. A heartfelt blessing is what a couple needs.”
The director chose Amalapuram to shoot the film as he wanted a natural village setting. Except for a duet, there is a story and a tradition woven into every song, informs Vegesna.
