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Such a long journey

One for the road Genelia and Tarun

It’s a plot that seems all too familiar — the leading lady who is running away from her home and impending marriage meets the hero on a journey. A love story unravels as the journey progresses. Film-maker Krishnavamsi reiterates that Sashirekha Parinayam has nothing to do with Imtiaz Ali’s runaway hit Jab We Met. “No one bothered to clarify with me before going to town with comparisons of my yet-to-be-released film with Jab We Met. I’ve been making films for the last 12 years and my work is there for everyone to see. Why should I copy another film?” he asks.

He agrees that Sashirekha Parinayam belong to the ‘road films’ like its predecessors Jab We Met and Dil Hai Ki Manta Nahin which borrow from Roman Holiday and It Happened One Night. “My mentor Ram Gopal Varma too made Kshana Kshanam, Daud and Road which were in the same genre. In fact, when Ashtavinayak films (producers of Jab We Met) called me up seeking clarification, I told them that my film is not a remake,” he explains.

Despite his statements, the perception has continued since Genelia, known for her bubbly portrayals, plays the lead. “I didn’t take into consideration the roles that Genelia essayed earlier when I approached her for my film. I am not here to do an experimental film with her. Heroines in my previous films too have essayed effervescent characters,” says Krishnavamsi, while also appreciating Genelia’s performance. “She is one of the few actresses who has succeeded solely because of her work. She is neither a great dancer nor can she fit into those ‘massy’ roles. But she is a thinking actress and puts in a lot of effort,” he says.

Tarun who has been going through a rough patch, will be seen in a new light, believes the director. “Tarun need not prove his abilities. He proved that he is actor material 15 years ago as a child actor in Anjali and duly received the national award. He had his moments of glory as a hero too, but he made a few wrong choices.”

Talking about the film’s premise, Krishnavamsi gets philosophical and talks about the social conditioning of women being expected to get married irrespective of the choices they would like to make. “A young woman is taken away from her known social circle that comprises her parents, relatives and friends and thrown into another family and told that she has to fit in. The world is different from her perspective. The thoughts that stemmed from this premise made me work on Sashirekha Parinayam,” he says, without giving away much about the film.

Sashirekha Parinayam, which has reached out to people through its music, will arrive on January 1. Krishnavamsi feels 2009 will see further changes in Telugu cinema. “The going has not been good after the economic slowdown. The churning that’s taking place will ensure that good cinema prevails,” he says. He’s glad the industry is moving away from star power but feels Telugu films have a long way to go. “The format may be changing but the content remains the same. We’re still making boy-meet-a-girl love stories. I doubt if we can make A Wednesday or a Dostana in Telugu right now.”

Lyricist Seetha Rama Sastry has been recurring in his films and Krishnavamsi says, “Ram Gopal Varma and Seetharama Sastry have been my sounding boards.”

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