Fantasy plus reality

Indraganti Mohana Krishna director of Mayabazar was a journalist before he became a director. He had worked in the now redundant AP Times and Deccan Chronicle as a free lancer before he took upto working as a co-director for documentaries. After having undergone a course in film making in Toronto he returned to India to take up direction full time. Grahanam was his crowning glory. With his parents as scholars he grew up in a literary background and his fascination for films was an offshoot of the narration of his grandma’s bedtime stories.

Talking about the classic Mayabazar he says it’s a cultural artefact. “The maatalu chestalu, everything about is lengendary. There is absolutely no comparison between the two films. KV Reddy who made Mayabazar himself took to a remake of Shashikala Parinayam. He had created an elaborate set up for his film. I just added a social element to the mythological. It’s exciting to make a film with the same title and also we are paying a tribute to him this way.”

About the film he adds, “It’s colourful in nature, has interesting characters, good real effects, it’s not a regular story, there is a lot of energy in the story, dialogues and visuals. Jayakumar as a writer has blended mythology with fantasy in a non-realistic way. It doesn’t look odd, it’s smooth. It’s strange yet believable and that makes for interesting viewing.”

Inspired by Japanese filmmakers and our very own Bapu, Vishwanath, RGV’s realism and Maniratnam’s style of filmmaking, Indraganti Mohana Krishna says for him the story is important and the actors are secondary. He adds that SPB had done a commendable job and he is a pillar to the story and Raja’s journey as an actor in such a huge canvas was surprising. Raja is controlled, subtle without missing the intensity in his work. He is going to be a star with Mayabazar. Bhumika’s chilipitanam and self pride gives an interesting twist to the story.