Golden Mango competes for Golden Elephant

Filmmaker Govinda Raju, a native of Mancherial, is the second Telugu director who will be competing for the Golden Elephant this year. His short film ‘Golden Mango’ received a big round of appreciation when it was screened on Monday at Prasad’s IMAX

It is heartening to note that not one, but two Telugus are competing for the Golden Elephant at the 18th International Children’s Film Festival of India this year. While the first is ‘Minugurulu’ director Ayodhya Kumar, the other is Govinda Raju, a JNTU Fine Arts - Hyderabad graduate, for his 10-minute drama ‘Sonyacha Aamba’ (Golden Mango). The movie got a huge round of applause when it was screened in the Competition Short Packages along with other strong contenders like ‘Tamaash’, ‘Papa’s Tango’, ‘To Guard a Mountain’ and ‘The Girl from Gori’ on Monday in Hyderabad.

“After completing my graduation I worked as a graphic designer for some time in Hyderabad before I joined FTII (Film and Television Institute of India) to learn direction. ‘Golden Mango’ is my second year’s work and was made two years ago,” recalls the Mancherial native, in a conversation with Hans Talkies.

Speaking about his film’s simple story, he says, “It’s a story of an eight-year-old kid who yearns for mangoes, but his mom can’t afford because of the high price. He remembers the tale that his grandmother narrated him about a man who sells golden mangoes before beginning to dream about having them.”

High prices of mangoes in Pune spurred him to make the film. “A single mango costs Rs 60 in Pune. I remember the days when I used to eat mangoes for free at my native place. The same reason got my attention. I was a fan of folklores that my grandmother used to narrate me. I wanted to make a film combining what she narrated along with current elements. It was a challenge, but we pulled it off,” he says.

One gets a feeling that it was shot at real locations until he points out that it wasn’t. “We completed the film at FTII studio in eight days - four days of production designing, a day of lighting besides three days of shoot. Since we’ve shot it on ‘film’, we got lesser footage (approximately 27 minutes). We trimmed it down to ten minutes,” he confides.

The film has already travelled to festivals such as Berlin Film Festival across the world. “It was also screened at Beijing Film Festival and International Film Festival of India, Goa. We have screenings in Italy and Taiwan to follow,” he avers.

The authorities at ICFFI need to pull their socks up, he feels. “Parents leave their children at the Berlin Festival and the organisers meet the children’s needs, unlike here. I understand it being an Indian. But the films that ICCFI is showcasing to children are of top notch in terms of both content and quality. The competition is tough and I feel lucky to be a part of it.”

Now with praises from all quarters he is ready to make more movies. “My next short film in Hindi will begin in January. I also have a project for NFDC besides a feature film. Maybe after two years, I will come down and make a Telugu film,” he signs off.