Telugu film industry is my Karmabhoomi

What made you choose the theme of human trafficking for 'Na Bangaru Talli'?

Most of my films are based on human right issues. I am not interested in making masala films with heroine running around the trees and hero fighting 100 people at a time. That doesn't mean that I am against such kind of films. For me, my film should make some sense. In fact I am also working on a mass entertainment film right now, but it has got a deep social subject.

This is not the first time I am making a film on human trafficking. Earlier I made a documentary titled ‘Anamika’ in 2005. I travelled for six months across red light areas to make it. The film won three international awards and was taken in the curriculum of National Judicial Academy and Police Academy. I also made a few public service ads, documentaries and docu-fictions for UN, and also a few short films on the topic.

My wife Dr Sunitha Krishnan, an anti-human trafficking activist, used to tell me about stories of girls who she had rescued. When she told about the incident of this particular girl I told her that we will make this a feature film; because she was always keeps asking me to reach out to the masses about the subject.

Then I started interacting with girls who were at Prajwala Home (an NGO devoted exclusively to eradicating forced prostitution and sex trafficking, run by his wife Sunitha) and listened to their experience. I started writing the script by including real life incidents from the life of this girl and also from the lives of other girls, and I realized that this is something that can happen to any girl/woman belonging to any class, region and as a matter of fact, any part of the world.

What does the National award mean to you?

The award means a lot to me, especially because it is for this film. Also because the award comes to the Telugu film industry! I was in Kerala, but I consider myself a Telugu because I started working in films through the Telugu film industry. This is my Karmabhoomi. The film is a bilingual in Telugu and Malayalam, but I preferred to send only the Telugu version as an entry to all the film festivals because rarely do Telugu films get national/international awards. I want Telugu films to be known internationally.

You have been making your presence felt across the globe at various film festivals. So how is this award different from all of them?

I have got so many awards internationally for my other films as well. But this is the first time that I sent my film for the national award and I won it! Getting recognition from your own people is the most satisfying thing. I didn’t realize how gratifying it is, till the National Award was announced. Sitting here at the Beijing International Film Festival where my movie is being screened, I have never felt more honored.

Were there any sacrifices you had to make to finish the film?

After the scripting was done, I approached a few leading Telugu producers, but none was interested in the subject. A few said it's not commercial and asked me to add some item number dance, glamour etc. A few of them said it will be an award film and that they aren’t interested in such films; they need mass entertainment. Showing nudity, rape and glamour in a film which is made against human trafficking… I thought was inappropriate! Later Sunitha and I took out our savings, mortgaged our flat and produced the film by ourselves. This film, unlike what those producers feared, is a complete family thriller with all the elements that will make a gripping watch for anybody.

Tell us something about the film's making?

The scripting itself was a tough job. When we make films on such kind of subjects, sad and grey parts of the life will be seen. There are many chances to show violence, sex, nudity, glamour et al. But Sunitha's first condition, before beginning the film, was that the entire family from a 10-year-old child to a 90 year old grand parent should be able to sit together and watch the film. So the visual scripting was challenging and I decided to create a new genre 'Family Thriller'.

While filming was challenging - I invested all my savings, after completion it was a virtual nightmare. I now feel that making a movie is easy but ensuring that it reaches theaters is the toughest part. I have shown this film to all the big names in the Tollywood industry. All of them pretended to become emotional after the film, but not a single one was willing to distribute it. I remember a big time producer/distributor with whom Sunitha was interacting. He rudely refused on grounds that this will not make any money and that it had no stars. But he was willing to accompany her to other distributors!

In spite of all these awards and recognitions, my greatest pain is that Sunitha and I decided to take all the risks, including mortgaging our house, so that we could reach out with this subject to the masses. But sadly we have not even sold the satellite rights of this film, leave alone reaching it to the theaters. I just pray we will reach it to theaters so the masses can watch it soon.

Why did you choose Telugu as a medium for the film? Do you think audience here will accept a film like this?

The real story happened here in Andhra Pradesh. So I thought Telugu is the right language to tell the story, authentically.

I think audiences are the best judge of cinema. If the film is made well and marketed like other regular films, the audience will definitely love it. May be that is why big time distributors are wary of taking this film - for the fear that if this film clicks, then there will not be any takers for the masala films.

What is your next project?

I am working on two of my pet projects. One is on ethnic minority and the other is on feminist perspective on mythology. I am also doing some mass entertainment films, but with a strong social subject.