been digging my grave…
Yep that’s pretty much what I have been upto. why you might ask? Well, to answer that, I have to look inwards. Maybe I have never been an honest man my entire life, maybe I have never ever told people what I really, really felt all the time, maybe I have been way too diplomatic, way too friendly, in the process I have made a great deal of friends in this place (the telugu film industry) and no enemies to name off.
For the un-initiated, who are about to ask, “what the hell I am talking about?”. Well I am talking about my journey so far with a film I have made called “Confessions of a Film-maker”. The story of the film is set in Hyderabad, and follows the life of a frustrated film-maker. He is frustrated because, he imagined all along that he had done pretty much everything right with his career so far. He has worked on the biggest projects, with the biggest stars and the biggest directors. He’s got everything going, including a future which could be his, if he wanted. But somewhere along the way, he begins to get disillusioned with the place he’s been working in. A film that he wants to make never takes off. Disappointed and not knowing whom to blame, he begins to see inwards and realizes he isn’t exactly in the ‘Mecca’ of cinema and all he has been doing is working on trash, a legacy which he is not proud of.
Knowing that he doesn’t have it in him to make it in this place, he calls his friend (me) over to shoot himself. Like everyone, he too imagines his life is a great story to tell. All his friend is told is to shoot him and not ask him any questions. This is from where the film takes off…what follows is a soul searching account of a film-maker who questions the existence of the industry he works in…the cinema follows 10 days in the life of this filmmaker as he rambles on about his ‘confessions’. But this is a film, and it has a story, and there is a twist in the tale, there is more than just what meets your eye the first time round.
Not exactly the most popular project on the floors in tollywood (yuck, I hate all these woody names). But anyways, as you can imagine, it’s not the kind of film, my colleagues, friends or family would like me to have released, let alone be associated with.
What’s the point they say? Whom all are you going to blame? Do you think you are going to change the industry with your arrogant, small film?
My answer to all of that is “no”. But if someone where to ask me why I was making this film…then I would say….”because no one would otherwise, and telugu cinema and its stars and writers and directors and producers could do with a reality check about what they have been upto”.
So? So what happens after the reality check is given? “Nothing, but at least they wont wake up every morning thinking there is no one here, who will question their work (not even the media does)”. “At least they might look over their shoulder, every once in a while, wondering if people have begun looking at them differently”. And more importantly, if my film inspires a group of young film-makers in Hyderabad to pick up the camera and stop day dreaming about developing a character for their hero…and just tell a story….yep…that would be the films biggest achievement. And I am positive that will come about. I really am.
If no questions are ever asked, how can there be any contentment. How will true film-makers ever value their work?
Except for Sekhar Kammula, I know of no director in Tollywood who has the ability to sit back and ask himself why he made a film?, for what reason?
Not one of these so called directors here, will ever ask themselves that question or ever begin to look at their films as a piece of work, leave alone art.
It’s always a piece of formulaic business, with a count of fights, songs and boob shows. Of course in between all of this, they do take a lot of interest in understanding and patting themselves for, how they ‘molded’ a particular star or how they developed a fantastic character just for him (another term for character in tollywood is arrogant machismo to the power of infinity). Every director tries hard in every film to push that envelope. That’s the envelope they are pushing, by developing the stars character(read,virility level) and pulling down the leading ladies skirt (I don’t have a problem with that, but I prefer renting a porn video when I want it jack off).
No one questions these directors, these stars and their lineage(read,bloodline).
Except, Well my film questions it?
Why shouldn’t an actor (read, star) be more responsible about the kinds of films he does? Why must all mediocre work be attributed to the masses? (They want to look better by accusing the masses of mediocrity)? Well please do the trashy films, but do a responsible one to? (For every tree that’s cut, plant another one!).
But no, there isn’t any sign of that happening. Play responsible characters, I ask them? But no, their contention is that they are giving hope to many jobless, soulless, poor people. Well how about inspiring these very people to get themselves a better life. No, that never happens.
Who would watch their films if people were happy with their own lives. It’s better off for us a state to be under-developed, under-educated and under-employed…..otherwise who the fuck would watch the films that these guys make. More the disillusionment in society, more the need for frivolous pieces of turd called telugu cinema.
And the directors, gosh I haven’t even started with the stars and I don’t know when I will finish with these spineless,illiterate,honchos we call directors. They are the epitome of chelagiri. they will lick the ass of every big muscled or over weight hero in the industry to just get to work with them. Infact some of the more successful ones, lick caste arse.
Yes, this place is infested by people who create camps based on the caste they are. So the kamma caste works only with their ilk, same is the case with kapu. Of course sometimes they do work together….but there is a price to pay for that…something I will write about later. The telugu film industry is the most caste-ridden infested rat-hole in the entire universe. And that’s their legacy so far….jesus I could go on…I’m banging my key-boards as I write this….
I am unique in that, I am a malayalee(who cant speak mallu, can mange telugu quite well, is fluent in Hindi and English) who was brought up in Hyderabad and I happen to be, I think the only one who has made a career in the telugu film industry, despite not being a telugu.Well I haven’t met one like me yet here…anyways I am digressing…I want to stay angry…
And the censors, my my…now why will my film be allowed to get past that. I remember paying the censors chief a bribe during Godavari (he had a problem with an expletive) and although we were okay with an ‘A’ certificate, we had to pay him to get a conditional okay (20,000rs)…..forget about freedom of expression, democratic india, we dont have freedom of choice.
even certain sexual positions are outlawed by the govt of india, but i will write on them later…when i am horny 
oh so yes,so I was talking about the censors,
If I were to get my film out with a clean certificate, that would cross the entire making budget of my film. And anyways, money is not the issue here, if the censors did let it out….thats not a legacy they want to deal with either…
And that’s why my film will never be allowed to release and that’s why I will be the most un-popular man in this place 2months from now (because if a commercial release doesnt happen, you will find my film on the black market, and passionforcinema users can watch it on this website)….
So yes. I know what I am doing and why I am doing it? As to the aftermath of it all….how bad can it be? Chiranjeevi and Nagarjuna will declare they will never work with me…so will be the case with their kids and grand-kids. That’s alright…I can deal with that…that’s a legacy I can live with….
want to see my grave pit?
check the following links.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9piuTn_7gA
[youtube]P9piuTn_7gA[/youtube]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4m4xNSix_sw
[youtube]4m4xNSix_sw[/youtube]
till later.
CM
Anurag Kashyap
Abhay Deol
Dibakar Banerjee
Hansal Mehta
Khalid Mohamed
Kundan Shah
Anish Kuruvilla
Jaideep Verma
Manish Gupta
Navdeep Singh
Bhavani Iyer
D. Santosh
Onir
Ashvin Kumar
Ramu Ramanathan
Sudhir Mishra
Pankaj Advani
Revathy
Saurabh Shukla
Shilpa Shukla
Sujoy Ghosh
Suparn Verma
Santosh Sivan
Shashank Ghosh
Shivajee
Pavan Kaul
Partho Sen-Gupta
Prroshant Naryannan
Sam Langoria
Satish Kasetty
Hi Anish…nice…But let me tell you one thing…I have seen the Telugu film industry from much close quarters than you could never even imagine in your wildest dreams…But…Why complain…It was like this and will remain like this forever…That’s the reason I left the south and have shifted here to Mumbai…My stomach used to churn in disgust when the first thing anyone in the set used to ask is my caste…
As long as Ramanaidu’s, Allu Aravinds (He is the man to watch out for), Nandamuri’s, Akkineni’s rule the industry, there is no hope for the Telugu film industry….As I keep saying, it is the chutiya public which keeps encouraging these chutiya stars by making their movies block busters..
I hope that after these assoles die, their children do not turn out to be as big assoles as their fathers…
Just an example..Have a look at Chiranjeevi’s son’s picture..He is becoming a Hero..
Why look at future “star”? we already have “stars” who can scare us to death, like JrNTR to Manchu brothers. Anyway, this is not about mudslinging and scary looking stars we have. Its about quality of movies we have/gonna have and how fxxxd up our “industry(??)” is.
anish
great post man. I hope you stay angry and reveal more about telugu cinema. I am a telugu and for my love of my mother tongue when I tried to participate in some discussion boards about cinema..I was thrown off for being nuetral..
try seeing the kind of discussions that go on in bewarsetalk.net and idlebrain.com/discus..
anyway…grt to know that u worked with Shekar. I hope to see better work from him..
the best thing to happen to telugu cinema was RGV..we threw him out when he tried to be sensible..and now that he is not making any more movies here..we call him a backstabber..
“ .. .. ..wondering if people have begun looking at them differently”
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4807397690444864476
people sure are, idhar bhii aur udhar bhi
Anish:
Great Post and hats off to your frankness. I am telugu guy and totally agree with you. This industry has lost it creativity and is ruled by stars and their lineage. It is pathetic that the cerativity has been replaced by caste and I do not see any change coming soon ….:(
Anish, bravo to you for having the balls to stand up and speak your mind. I hope your film is watched by these Telegu stars, their supporters, the financiers, the producers, the directors and most of all the paying public!
If even 1 out of 100 get the message, then you have succeeded to breed a change of attitude. And for any real revolution to work, you NEED a change in attitudes.
Good one Anish….. Telugu film industry has been degrading like this for more than a decade. There are a few film makers like Chandra Sekhar Yeleti, who genuinely make some very good films. But those films, like Aithe, AOR and Little Soldiers get appreciated only in some small pockets thereby getting losses for the Producers. Imagine this, an Utter Crap like Bunny becomes a hit. Or for that Matter, Desamuduru is earning more than 30 crores. When compared to these flicks, the former ones struggle to even earn 5 crores. The basic problem is the public who watches the films. There are getting more hero fanatic day-by-day. Thats why all the big hero flicks make a killing during the first week when the craze is at the zenith.
Hi Anish,
If you want to show reality of the film industry there is no need to use flithy language man……..try to present u r ideas on the screen so that every body will watch with their family…………
Dont blame any one man first think abt ur self b4 showing fingers on others…….Sorry to say like this …….actually u r from malayalam and i know u r v v v v fluent in english and hindi not that much in telugu except flithy words……but also u talks abt telugu film industry and the life here……….hey man every one knows film industry is color life so there is no new things to know abt that…….and one small advice before changing the system here first change on u r native region then talk abt here……..again i am feeling v bad to say like this………..i know u r v gud artist…..but maintain some moral values man……
And comming to Caste system that is not only in film industry man thats there in all over india……….if u want fight with that system then first concentrate on that man……y the govt is still increasing reservations…..y u r still following those fucking rules every where………
Film media is for Message, Entertainment only and i think u know with out commeritial elements no movie will be made and thats not in our telugu film industry man thats all over world………
i think first u have to change b4 the system…..
Hi Siva,
i dont think i ever intended my film to be one to be watched by the family. i do want to connect to young,ambituous filmmakers. and the ‘filthy’ language i use is just my way of expression. its certainly not for children.
“Dont blame any one man first think abt ur self b4 showing fingers on others”— but whom have i blamed in my promos or film. i havent blamed any single person.
“and one small advice before changing the system here first change on u r native region then talk abt here
Hi Anish. It’s great to see that you’d responded to Siva’s comments. Anyway, All the best for your Film. I wish it depicts the reality to the core & I’m also one of those wann’ be Film makers.
hi anish
I want to say u something,u can count the people in film industry who came with out difficulties.Every profession has its own difficulty.The thing u need is, not to loose ur passion towards cinema and endurance.If u don’t get chance in film why don’t u try in serials.Why do like to become a star overnight.trivikram came as a writer and became a director.I don’t know how long ur observing the film indutry but i feel the days now are changing.young and talented direcors are getting some chance.U are criticizing telugu film industry,if u feel malayalam is a good place why don’t u try there and come back to tollywood.The disease we have in industry is people like to encourage tamil and malayalam directors even though they gave many flops.Don’t waste ur time and try in different ways ,u may get atleast one chance to prove urself.best of luck.