Driven by passion alone

Vasu Mantena who is making his directorial debut with ‘Basthi’ tells us why his life as an entrepreneur will prove useful in his new innings as a filmmaker

Entrepreneur Vasu Mantena is making his directorial debut with ‘Basthi’ and he says the journey of making the film was a great one. “I love cinema and always wanted to make a film. I wanted to use my creativity in the direction department and this film is the result of my passion,” he shares.

A conventional love story which traces the problems faced by a young couple in their journey of love, this film has been produced by Vasu himself and he says he found the job to be less challenging and more satisfying. “I am an entrepreneur before becoming a filmmaker and used my business tactics to complete the film in a stipulated time and budget. It was a very satisfying experience,” says Vasu.

The film which is gearing up for a release this Friday stars Jayasudha’s son Shreayan as the male lead along with Pragati Chourasiya. Vasu, who is all praise for the duo, says, “Shreayan wasn’t very comfortable in the beginning but he is hard working and gradually improved with time and I was surprised with his dedication.

As for Pragati, she has a lot of experience in her craft as she has been in the field since the age of three and as expected she was fabulous.” Even though his first film is yet to release, irrespective of the box-office result, Vasu intends to keep going. “It’s my passion and I will continue directing movies for years to come. I am presently working on a movie which will go onto floors in September.”