I went to films, not a film school: Director Radhakrishna Reddy

Radhakrishna Reddy says he has been a film enthusiast from the time he was in Class 7, and even had a fetish for story narration. But his father insisted that he complete his academics first.

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He opted for engineering as his father was a civil contractor. But cinema always fascinated him. “I get transported to a new world as soon as the doors are closed and the lights are turned off in a theatre.”

From short films to commercial cinema

Radhakrishna Reddy (right) at the pooja ceremony of ‘Junior’. (Supplied)

“Post-engineering, my father suffered some health issues and things were not good at home. So, I worked on an irrigation project for a year-and-a-half. As I fell sick, I took some rest at home. That’s when a friend approached me with the request to write a script for a short film. I helped him and the project got recognition,” the director recalled.

He remembers reading the interview of late veteran director Balu Mahendra where the latter conceded that he found his job enthralling because he can make it rain anywhere and stop it with just a simple command.

Radhakrishna also cites writer-director Tarun Bhasckar’s Pelli Choopulu as a game changer. The National Award-winning movie broke many cliches and paved the way for many short filmmakers to enter the world of feature films.

Team #Junior ⚡️ Wishing the Captain of their Ship @rk91_reddy garu a very Happy Birthday.!@KireetiOfficial @geneliad #Sreeleela @ThisIsDSP @DOPSenthilKumar @CrazystarL #Ravinder @neeta_lulla @PeterHeinOffl @SaiKorrapati_ @VaaraahiCC pic.twitter.com/T67Jh0CJaz

— Vaaraahi Chalana Chitram (@VaaraahiCC) October 22, 2022

On writing for movies

When asked how he learnt the grammar of film-writing, he quotes writer-director Quentin Tarantino: “No, I didn’t go to a film school. I went to films.”

“I saw more than 4,000 films — both national and international. I started reading books on screenplay and direction and even watched documentaries. Watching six films a day did the trick for me,” the filmmaker said smugly.

There is always a dearth of good writers in the industry and one has to keep hunting.

A poster of ‘Mayabazar 20116’ movie. (Supplied)

But writing is a personal experience for Radhakrishna and he discloses that structuring develops subconsciously while he writes. “I initially construct a 70 percent plot and later work on ideas to polish it and find logic. Some agencies do the job now.”

For his debut venture, he had no clue about a set. “I was naive but I directed it. Looking back, I feel I could have done a better job. But it wasn’t a bad film at all.”

The director believes he is a better writer than a filmmaker. So, he tried to understand lensing, timing, blocking and visual storytelling. “There is always room to improve yourself. You’ll see the updated version of me in my current film” he said with a tone of confidence.

‘Dr Puneeth Rajkumar was a brother’

One night, Radhakrishna Reddy wrote a 40-page story; the next thing he remembers was getting introduced to Kannada superstar late Dr Puneeth Rajkumar and Mayabazar happened.

The director says the superstar was more like his brother and recalls the conversations they had during the Covid lockdowns.

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“I could make out from our talks that Dr Puneeth Rajkumar had a lot of passion for films. He wanted to introduce at least 10 new directors to the industry every year.”

Radhakrishna Reddy revealed that the duo interacted daily even after Mayabazar was released and he was extremely close to the superstar.

“Dr Puneeth Rajkumar was fit, agile, and athletic for his age. We were supposed to collaborate on a film in a week but the news of his sudden demise broke. The loss is irreplaceable. It was supposed to be my third film but I’ve put the script aside,” he became emotional.

PRK Production #2 #Mayabazar2016 teaser on 15th November 👍 pic.twitter.com/521in1KHxk

— Puneeth Rajkumar (@PuneethRajkumar) November 13, 2019

About his upcoming film Junior

Producer Korrapati Sai watched Mayabazar and was impressed. He summoned Radhakrishna to Hyderabad where the director met Kireeti. He waxes eloquent on the debutant but doesn’t reveal much about the movie.

“I’m impressed with Kireeti’s confidence and energy levels. I didn’t have any story in mind when I met him. I returned to Bengaluru and cracked a line after a month. They liked it,” he disclosed as to how Junior came into being.

Kireeti in ‘Junior’. (Supplied)

Currently, a month’s schedule for the film is pending. The crew is shooting in Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Mysore. Every shot is filmed in two languages —Telugu and Kannada.

“Sree Leela’s inclusion is a planned move. She speaks both languages fluently. There is a comfort zone when lead actors know the language. They can focus on emotions and expressions rather than lines” Radhakrishna Reddy said.

Genelia D’Souza plays an important character in Junior. Ravi Chandran, too, will be seen in a key role.

“Junior is a simple family film entertainer with no dull moments and you will be surprised by Kireeti’s performance. Cinematographer Senthil, production designer Ravinder, and other technicians are taking the project to another level,” the filmmaker signed off.