Taking time off between script preparations for his film Fashion Designer S/O Ladies Tailor , the sequel to Rajendra Prasad-starrer comedy, Ladies Tailor , director Vamsy has a brief conversation with MetroPlus . While most of the up-and-coming filmmakers take the short film route to their dream of making that one big feature film, Vamsy took a cue from the likes of Sujoy Ghosh and Anurag Kashyap, to filme a 15-minute shortie titled Letter , recently.
“Madhura Sreedhar, who’s producing my next, was of the opinion that there was enough time before we make the feature film. He wanted to utilise that space productively and asked me to suggest a storyline for a short film. I had provided one but didn’t think of directing it. But he liked the subject and requested me to make it myself,” Vamsy reveals.
Given his credentials as a writer of many short stories, including the famous Pasalapudi Kathalu that was made into a television series, it was a seamless progression to adapt to short films. “Letter was in fact a story I penned 18 years ago. It’s a boon that the story’s context and relevance hasn’t changed over the years,” he shares.
The film starring actors Sathya Dev, Harsha and Krishneswar Rao is an ironical depiction of the short term relationships that exist today. The letter serves as a metaphoric and physical tool to bind one relationship and break another.
Vamsy adds, “It was just an experiment to see how I could I manage it. I’m game for more such stints, if producers are willing to put in the money.” One appreciates his stand given that his earlier film Tanu Monne Vellipoyindi was left in the cans due to several financial issues; the prospects of its release seem bleak. He says he has learnt enough lessons from the experience. “For my future films, I will make sure that I strike a balance between personal instincts and the market,” he reveals. “ Fashion Designer S/O Ladies Tailor is a different story altogether, but there will be a connection to the original.”
From working with established actors like Rajendra Prasad, Srikanth, Venu, Naresh and Mohan Babu, the director has changed gears and is teaming with younger actors including Allari Naresh, Ajmal and now Raj Tarun (for Fashion Designer …). Vamsy assures, “I’ve always made sure I move with the times. In fact, my films have always had a good balance of young and senior actors. .”
“My next film too will have music of the quality people expect in my films. I will take sufficient care to ensure the output,” he adds This makes him talk about one of his pet composers in the last few years, Chakri, who’s no more. “In my experience, I realised he had a gift to make music and doing that for nearly 100 films is not at all a joke.”
His association with Ilayaraja is one that he and Telugu music enthusiasts have always cherished. “He is a guru, friend and we stay in touch regularly beyond work too. Our friendship has only grown from strength to strength over the last 30 years,” Vamsy states.
