NYIFF 2018

timesofindia.indiatimes.com
This Telugu film featuring 80 residents of Kancharapalem is going international!
Neeshita Nyayapati
April 9, 2018

An indie film made by debutant director Venkatesh Maha has become the toast of Tollywood, winning plaudits from a host of mana celebs. “C/o Kancharapalem holds the rare distinction of being the first Telugu film to be selected for the New York Indian Film Festival,” raved Rana Daggubati on his microblog. “Layered, honest storytelling with truly gorgeous moments, take a bow!” lauded actor Adivi Sesh. A slice-of-life romance, the film is an ode to the Kancherapalem locality of Visakhapatnam, says the 29-year-old director. “It’s an anthology of four love stories set in Kancharapalem featuring residents of the area. Of the 85-member-cast only 5 are from Hyderabad, the rest are locals with no acting experience to speak of,” says Venkatesh.
Explaining the rationale behind the decision to cast real people in the film, Venkatesh says, “Even the residents would ask me why I wanted them to act in the movie. I told them that’s because the story was born from them. When I asked them to trust me and come to workshops, they were kind enough to agree. However, shooting with the residents was rough. We shot for 62 days over a period of six months.”

A native of Vijayawada, Venkatesh’s connection with Kancharapalem makes for an interesting story. It was in 2009 that the locality became his home when he was left homeless due to a quirk of fate. “My friend Phani invited me to live with him when he found out I needed a place to stay. His family was so cool; they welcomed me with open arms. I stayed there for 9 months and became a part of their family, ” recalls Venkatesh, who moved to Hyderabad to pursue a career in Tollywood, never to return for eight long years.

“I set out to be an actor and even did roles in films that never really clicked. But when I decided to venture into direction, I needed a place to stay at, again to write a story,” explains Venkatesh who headed back to Kancharapalem again last year.

“In 2009, I noticed how the people here are hyper-active and have an unbeatable love for films. But this time around, I began to look at them with fresh eyes and they were extremely fascinating. If I saw someone interesting, I would strike a conversation with them to know more. While I did not adapt their stories on-screen, I definitely picked up their essence and lifestyle,” he shares.

He first shot a demo tape of the film to pitch to producers. After a US-based cardiologist came on board to fund the film, Venkatesh returned to Kancharapalem to shoot the film. “As all the actors were first timers, they would freeze in front of the camera initially. I taught them everything I knew and it worked. It turned into an experience none of us will forget,” explains the director who is confident that the film will strike a chord with the audience.

“I grew up in Gandhinagar, Vijayawada, which is filled with film theatres. I used to walk to school crossing cut-outs of stars and the hysteria that surrounds the first day of release. I have also stood in lines to buy tickets and have seen movies with the nela ticket. I believe the audience will watch any film that is honest and has a good story,” reckons the filmmaker.

The plot revolves around eight love stories of eight central characters. “The protagonists are of varied ages, ranging from the age of 13 to 50. Though the film falls in the romance genre, it is in essence a reflection of life that will resonate with people of all age groups,” he says, adding, “We shot the film in sync sound to ensure it has an authentic slice-of-life feel to it.”

The film is slated to be screened at the New York Indian Film Festival on May 10 and the filmmaker is looking forward to it. “C/o Kancharapalem is a film that everyone must see, it is truly something born from the people,” he says signing off.

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