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Behind the lens
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A tête-à-tête with Surya Prakash as he sets off on his directorial debut
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SITTING IN his quaint office in Film Nagar on his Mackintosh and keying feverishly to the riffs of Dire Straits, Surya Prakash looks up only to talk to the little boy who has come for an audition. Even as he is basking in the success of Morning Raaga, the 29-year-old actor has decided to step into the shoes of his father and grandfather. K.S. Prakasha Rao is known for Prem Nagar starring A. Nageswara Rao and Vanisri, and K. Raghavendra Rao for his innumerable Telugu and Hindi hits. "I like my father's works. Annamaya, Jagadeka Veerudu Atiloka Sundari and Vetagaadu are some movies which come to my mind," he says, engrossed in the script of his forthcoming directorial debut.
"A Bellyful of Dreams is about a rag picker who wants to go to school. He invests money in his future, keeping his daily earnings in a bellied puppet. The narrative takes place in the attic where the family stays. The puppets come alive in the night. Part of the narrative is in the puppet world; Dadi Padamjee, noted puppeteer from New Delhi, is making puppets for the film and will be here for the shoot. The film is told more like a fable," he explains.
`It is an alternative film. I got the story from J.K. Bharavi (Annamayya) and gave my spin. My father has been a great support and helped me with the script. We have been having auditions. I went to street children's home for the same. It was a moving experience. The film is as much about the rag picker as it is about having a dream and fulfilling it. We use the rag picker as an example. I don't believe in selling poverty as an Indian fad," says Prakash.
Directorial calling
"I have been writing for a while. I was always interested in directing. Probably it happened sooner than I thought. What I would like to do is not your regular potboilers, but a middle grade between the two genres. My sensibilities are different — more of alternative genre. Hopefully, what I do has a wider audience and thus becomes mainstream," he says.
Surya Prakash made his acting debut in 2002. "After I finished my engineering from Bangalore, I studied acting in New York. I moved here three years ago when Neetho happened. And then Morning Raaga followed. I didn't do much acting as you can see," he chuckles. On Morning Raaga, "I got to do something close to my sensibilities. It was a great team — Rajiv Menon, Mahesh Dattani and Shabana Azmi. I learnt a lot, from being an actor to many aspects of production," he recollects.
On similarities with the protagonist, he says, "he is a musician brought up on western sounds. I listen to the '60s and the '70s music, and I am now listening to a bit of jazz and alternative genres. And there is also the journey, of discovering roots and of a struggling artiste finding a voice. Though some did not like what we did to Carnatic music, the film got great reviews. In terms of acclaim, it won an award at the Cairo International Festival."
When compared to contemporary Telugu heroes, "I don't consider myself a star. I am struggling actor. I don't see myself in the same bracket. And I don't see myself as a Bollywood actor; it doesn't go with my sensibilities. I enjoy acting. I will still pursue it as long as I get something interesting to work on," he says.
Back on his forthcoming venture, "A Bellyful of Dreams will be a full-length feature in Telugu with English sub-titles. We are trying to get a multiplex release. My father and Rana, Suresh Babu's son, are producers of the film. We are starting shooting on March 28 and should be finishing by July," he sums up.
SYEDA FARIDA
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