Interview: I find people more interesting than books, says Shanmukha Prasanth

And guess what? It won some rave reviews for the performances and the music. Incidentally, both Prasanth and Suhas hail from Vijayawada and share a great camaraderie.

“I was trying to get a foothold in the film industry when I met Suhas while shooting for a short film. I cannot talk about my salad days here without mentioning his name and support. I was an assistant director for Colour Photo and a writer for one of his films – Family Drama,” the director told South First while recalling his association with Suhas.

Prasanth worked for Colour Photo only for 25 days and moved to the Family Drama team as a writer. “Suhas encouraged me to move on from one project to another. I wrote the story, dialogues and screenplay for Family Drama. Families would love to see this story.

.@anuragmayreddy @SharathWhat You always have something new and interesting to look forward to! All the best @ActorSuhas @TinaShilparaj and the entire team of #WriterPadmabhushan 👍👍 Looking forward to this one! 😊https://t.co/mCg58MaI2Q

— Mahesh Babu (@urstrulyMahesh) January 20, 2023

From BTech to direction

Shanmukha Prasanth and actor Suhas on the sets of ‘Writer Padmabhushan’. (Supplied)

Shanmukha Prasanth comes from a middle-class family and wanted to get into the film industry, like any youngster.

Before pursuing his dream, he had to go through the rigmarole of finishing his academics, convincing his parents that he has a BTech to fall upon, in case he fails in films. Then, he shifted to Hyderabad.

Were his parents happy that he finished his studies before turning adventurous? “Not really. I worked for a year after my studies to give them confidence. It would have been better had I not done engineering. People would have said that I am at least doing something in films.”

“But, since I had a decent degree, our well-wishers influenced my parents that it wasn’t a great idea to enter the cinema. They also gave examples of how a few acquaintances are in a secured job and getting paid well,” Shanmukha Prasanth laughed it off.

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Despite this, there wasn’t a single reason that pushed him to take up direction as a career.

“There was a strong impact on me by films made by K Vishwanath and Jandhyala. Not that I would make their kind of films but I would be entertained. I am being introduced to cinema by the genre and story that I always was keen on. There are no two thoughts about that.”

He became a director quite early compared to a lot more wannabe directors. “Short films have taught me a lot. That taught the grammar of films. Also, if the content is good, it is easy to find a way to get to a producer,” he asserted.

Love and nothing else for #WriterPadmabhushan trailer ❤️

9M+ views & counting 💥💥
– https://t.co/w4soxcLnwI@ActorSuhas @TinaShilparaj @prasanthshanmuk @Rohinimolleti @ChaiBisketFilms @LahariFilm @LahariMusic pic.twitter.com/CmSicGkyQk

— 𝐕𝐚𝐦𝐬𝐢𝐒𝐡𝐞𝐤𝐚𝐫 (@UrsVamsiShekar) January 26, 2023

On Writer Padmabhushan

Director Prasanth on the sets of ‘Writer Padmabhushan’. (Supplied)

Writer Padmabhushan is about a 25-year-old youth who is fond of books and writing and wants to see his first book published.

But, in person, Shanmukha Prasanth says he is not inclined to read books. “I like to read people, observe them and travel with them. I find them more interesting than books.”

A lot has been revealed in the trailer of Writer Padmabhushan about a 25-year-old writer and his ambition to have his book published, a middle-class father who wants to save money and a mother who is addicted to television serials.

There is a girlfriend, too, who has basic expectations and he falls short of that.

“There is a lot more to be told other than what you saw in the trailer. We wanted to hide something. The moment you see it, you’ll smile at Padmabhushan’s journey,” he quipped.

Also Read: Shanvi Srivastava interivew

Director Shanmukha Prasanth. (Supplied)

“It is not a new point. It is something that you are aware of; it is just that the packaging is different. Once you see it, you would want to bring your friends and family to see the movie again,” Prasanth oozed confidence.

His friends commented that there were many identical qualities between Writer Padmabhushan and him, and the latter agrees.

The director is all praise for Tina Shilparaj and Gauri Priya, the leading ladies of Writer Padmabhushan. He also wants to work with them again. “They all are OTT actors. But this is their first theatre film and they did a marvellous job,” he said.

Shekar Chandra scored the soundtrack and Kalyan Nayak contributed the background score. Venkatraman, who worked for Colour Photo and Family Drama, is the cinematographer.

When I screened it for a few people, a lady said that this is a film that doesn’t require parental control and she would encourage her children to watch it,” he signed off.