Tuesday, July 01, 2008

a little bit of avakai in my life....

As I sit watching the edit happen on my movie Avakai-Biryani (Mango Pickled Biryani), I am reminded about how all of this first started……..
Back in 2006. Sekhar Kammula’s ‘Godavari’ had just released to good reviews but to an unfavorable box office response, finally ending as an ‘average’ film business wise. Having worked as both the executive producer and associate director on the film, I gave it my all and I mean MY ALL, shooting in the middle of that amazing river for a 100 days, with more than a 100 people on board 3 launches, bang in the middle of the monsoon, with the heaviest rainfall and floods being recorded ever, the production of Godavari was a truly life changing experience for me, something I will take to my grave, something that made me believe that we could shoot on Mt.Everest next if we wanted to….something that really made a filmmaker out of me…
and watching it not making it in the box office, disheartened me, depressed me and pushed me into the blackest phase of my professional career…..I was questioning why I had spent the last 10 years of my life in this cynical-tough as nails-bitchy-unforgiving place called ‘the film industry’…
Sekhar had me take time off, I went on a bit of a soul searching trip across the konkan…drifting from one low to another….this trip was just a pretext to finally sit down and write a feature film, something Sekhar has been goading me to do since my ‘Anand’ days with him…little did he know, I was only making the trip to escape from the industry here in Hyderabad….The ‘Godavari’ experience left me feeling bitter about the people working here and the public….I was hard headed, I know, but I thought I needed to get away and re- renew my career…..my life….
This was when I tried to write something ‘happy’…something optimistic…something inspirational….something lighthearted….the result was Avakai-Biryani…but….I didn’t actually write the entire draft of ‘AB’ while on my trip on the konkan….instead I would write and leave it midway to wallow in self pity and a few vodkas, the depression wouldn’t leave me…..but I still managed to write a treatment which will make COF look like HAHK. (sigh….alright the full form “Hum Aapke Hain Koun”)
Anyways….The result of all of this was “confessions of a filmmaker”-(shot on HD-released on the internet, with assistance from PFC)…….but then, let me skip a few chapters after that….and talk about the immediate past and the imminent future….
Avakai Biryani….my first movie…my immediate past and my imminent future…
Hello PFC readers, don’t think anyone here would have missed me….but I am happy to be back, writing again…
Right after “Happy Days” began my “Happy Phase” (corny-I know)….but seriously, the super success of Sekhar’s ‘Happy Days’ revitalized me….so much so that I re-visited my once darkly written AB script….
The result was a happy, progressive, optimistic ,movie draft….which I was happy to present to Sekhar and which he readily agreed to produce….
And so today as I sit watching the edit….I am also reminded about what big adventures it took to make this small film…..but more about that in a later post….
For now cheers PFC.

9 comments:

Pradeep Karavadi said...

After I read about your dissent on public reaction to Godavari, I wanted to share my views. Honestly speaking, I dint like Godavari as much I liked Anand. Many reasons. In Godavari Music was excellent, locations were awesome, story was good...but all these put together...I dint feel it came out as one unit. I felt there were many unnecessary sub plots...like that faction leader and her daughter coming on board and the night fight...the Astrologer and parrot plot was a bit dull, the dog part was good but it had too many conversations with other dogs etc...Basically I felt that the subplots decreased the pace of the movie. I like the lead characters very well. Especially heroes maradalu's character was very well done....one who cannot make a right decision, one who changes decisions as time goes by....kamalinis character was my favorite.. a bubbly..frank...outspoken girl.

I had lot of expectations on "andanga lena" song picturization...but I dint feel it had that lovely romantic feel. Maybe When I was listening to the music I had my own vision and picturization for the song...may be I dint like it...may be my vision/view dint match sekhar's presentation.

Talking about Happy Days...that too is a good movie by then again Anand stays on top. I liked Happy Days for the fact that till then there was no movie in Telugu Industry which narrated a Clean Urban College Students Story without useless/senseless student-lecturers jokes, without senseless third grade comedy and without hope less hero's sidekicks. Music...Awesome..Characters..awesome...some scenes...heart melting...but as a whole 99% :). Almost all engineering students would have correlated some scene or the other with their real life. That is what made Happy Days a stupendous hit. If I had to rank Sekhar's stuff...it would be 1. Anand 2. Dollar Dreams 3. Happy Days 4. Godavari

Enough of Shekar's stuff. Tell me about your movie!! Who is doing the Music? when is the first promo coming out!! keep us informed man!!....

Regards
vito_parry

PS: Anish, I have missed COFM man. Please help me find a DVD pleaseeeeeeeeese

Pradeep Karavadi said...

Hi Anish,

Watched the trailer of avakai biryani on Idlebrain. Its very soothing. Music is very good. Hoep to see more ....

Rgds
Pradeep

Deepa26 said...

Watched your movie Avakaya Biryani .....i loved it ...its a very well made movie .....after a long time i watched a nice movie which dint have characters which are not needed .....but only one draw back i guess is the pace of teh movie ...its slow in few of the parts .....anyways a very well made movie keep up the gud work

deepa26

జగన్ said...

hi Anish.Congrats for ur effort.And i am completely in love with ur movie.nice story,screenplay and direction.sorry that the reviews are not upto your mark.I would like to see an another Anish"s film as soon as possible.

Bubbly said...

Hey Anish,

I just watched your movie, "Avakai Biryaani"....Its a lovely movie...i liked it very much...didnt feel bore anywhere...felt really good. Waiting for your next movie.

vamsi said...

hi anish gaaru iam vamsi from hyd......i saw ur film dollar dreams...ur acting was so natural...excellent y dont u act in movies..iam inspired aftr watching dollar dreams and hyderabad blues.......i have some kewl scripts....i just want to know more abt filmmaking could you please help me this is my email id bolluvamsi@yahoo.com

cinegyan said...

hi anish,
this is Vamshi krishna. i'm working on some subjects. to be frank i want to meet you personally.
atleast give mr ur email id so that i can have chat.
vamshikrishna42@gmail.com

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