In the film, Santosh Sobhan plays as a young man who becomes a marriage detective after his wedding gets cancelled.
Published Aug 13, 2023 | 10:30 AM ⚊ Updated Aug 13, 2023 | 10:30 AM
Writer-actor-director Abhishek Maharshi. (Supplied)
Abhishek Maharshi worked as an artiste in 12 movies, the most recent being actor Naga Shaurya‘s Phalana Abbayi Phalana Ammayi.
Though Abhishek always wanted to be a director, a friend found that there was a good actor in him. Well, they did a short film together after which Abhishek Maharshi started getting movie offers.
A struggling writer too, he has many feathers in his hat. But right now, he is making headlines for his upcoming directorial debut starring Santosh Sobhan — Prem Kumar — releasing on 18 August.
In a free-wheeling chat with South First, the actor-writer-director talks about his decade-long journey in the Telugu film industry.
Abhishek Maharshi working on the script. (Supplied)
Abhishek took to writing when he was 17 years old. Armed with a bunch of stories, he has been continuously pitching them to many people in the industry. Finally, a friend agreed to produce his work.
Abhishek and his team couldn’t ask for more and jumped at the offer.
“We filtered down the stories we had and zeroed in on Prem Kumar. It is a comedy and the concept is new. Since the beginning, our team has been confident that we could pull it off,” the filmmaker said.
Asked how is the title justified, he replied, “Prem Kumar is the name of the hero and we thought that it is easy to promote. The movie is all about him. So, we thought that it’s better not to divert people’s attention by giving another title.”
Be it Spider-Man, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995), or Ravoyi Chandamama (1999), all these films showcase the hero stepping in, stopping the heroine’s wedding from happening, and taking her away like a knight in shining armour in the climax.
Abhishek Maharshi further explained, “After two-and-a-half hours of drama, the unwilling parents are okay with the alliance. But what happens to the poor groom who comes in with a special appearance? That is the story of Prem Kumar. The movie is about his stalled marriage. Such a guy will never get married or find love.”
Abhishek Maharshi on the sets of ‘Prem Kumar’. (Supplied)
Hilarious as it sounds, there is more to Prem Kumar.
Dejected and frustrated, the protagonist turns into a marriage detective. Since he already has the experience, he does the background checks and specialises in breaking weddings and relationships than fixing them.
“Now, you’d understand why the protagonist has been named Prem Kumar. How his life turns out from there forms the rest of the story. Does his life ambition of getting married get fulfilled? What are the other twists and turns that culminate into a hilarious finale is a must-watch,” the director smiled.
Rashi Singh, a relative newcomer, is the heroine in the flick.
Santosh Sobhan, who is struggling with a series of disasters at the box office, will hopefully strike gold with this story.
Even though Prem Kumar is a small film, the production house is blessed with a skilled cast and crew.
Anant Srikar, an associate of Sri Charan Pakala, scored the music.
Rampy is the cinematographer. He is currently working for dance master Yash’s Aakasam Dhaati Vasthaava directed by Sasi Kumar. it is a Dil Raju production.
