An edge-of-the-seat thriller
M.L. NARASIMHAM
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Director Sivanageswara Rao has shifted gears from comedies.
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FIRST CUT Anand, Mukta and Anjali in sivanageswara Rao's debut production 'Photo'.
"We are shooting at the Kennedy Global School in Miyapur. Afternoon is the best time for us to meet, may be by 2 p.m.," Sivanageswara Rao said over his mobile.
The director-turned-producer is producing his first film, Photo, under Siva Chitra banner in association with Nagesh Pawar and M.G.K. Multimedia.
As we landed at the venue, it was not difficult to find out where the actual shoot is in progress, thanks to the outdoor unit van and the Best Boy who helped us spot the location. Best Boy in Hollywood terminology is a gender-neutral term used for any technical assistant, apprentice or aide for the gaffer or the (key) grip on a set, responsible for the routing and coiling of power cables necessary to run the lights for a shot.
At the location, it is full of revelry. Holding the cordless mike in his hand, the producer-director is giving instructions to the lead actors — hero Anand, heroines Mukta and Anjali and 150 junior artistes posing as college students. The elegant school buildings have been converted into a college campus to suit the script.
The festive atmosphere there soon turned into melancholy and the lead actors displayed mixed reactions. The director is satisfied with their expressions. He orders, `cut.'
"The lead actors are college students and this is a farewell party scene," informs Sivanageswara Rao.
A specialist in comedies, Siva agrees that all the 14 films he had made so far were light-hearted comedies. "This one is my fifteenth as a director and first as a producer. In content and narrative, it defers from the rest. I am not making a comedy. Of course one can find all the leading comedians in the film, but then humour is only a part of the whole fabric weaved around romance and adventure. It's a romantic thriller," says the soft-spoken director.
"The theme is based on a real life incident. Generally producers ask me to make comedies for them. I cannot risk offbeat themes with them. So I decided to turn producer. The film revolves around the fact that just one photograph can trigger trouble. In this film, the lead pair chance upon a photo and from then on, their life goes through many intriguing changes leading to a thrilling climax. There is heart touching sentiment too (story and dialogue by debutant Karlapalem Hanumantha Rao)."
Anand has trained in trained in acting under Bhikshu. Anjali hails from Bhimavaram but has made a mark as a model in Chennai. Mukta is from Kerala and has done one film in Malayalam. "I have seen her Malayalam movie Achan Virngatha Veedu. She is a natural actor."Cinematographer K.G. Soman is checking the lighting pattern with his crew and the shoot is about to recommence. "Soman had earlier worked for the Telugu film Appudappudu," informs Siva. He is an alumnus of Pune Film and Television Institute.
As we are looking for the nagara to play a song that generally follows a farewell scene, the director says, "No, there is no farewell song. In fact, I wanted to make it a song-less film. But we now have less songs." Rohit Raj who had earlier worked for his film Mrs. Sailaja... has composed two songs.
Changing track isn't that easy, more so in the film industry. Watching Sivanageswara Rao on the sets, one can find his determination to prove his detractors wrong. The film is expected to release in July.
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