Debut director Sri Karthik reveals how his Tamil-Telugu bilingual ‘Kanam’/’Okay Oka Jeevatham’ stemmed from a personal loss and became a science-fiction drama
Debut director Sri Karthik reveals how his Tamil-Telugu bilingual ‘Kanam’/’Okay Oka Jeevatham’ stemmed from a personal loss and became a science-fiction drama
A story that explores the bond between a mother and son during childhood, with hints of regret as they grow up and the intention to go back in time and change something, with music acting as a foil. Is. Director Shree Karthik says his first feature film – ok ok jeetham in telugu and kanamo In Tamil – All this and much more. “It is an emotional story at its core, but it is also prim and a fun sci-fi drama,” says the Chennai-based director, over the phone. Starring Sharwanand and Ritu Varma in the lead roles, the film stars Amala Akkineni as the mother and Nasir as a scientist who facilitates time travel.
soul of film
The song ‘Amma’ written by the late Sirivenela Sitaram Sastri in Telugu and Uma Devi in Tamil is the soul of the film. Kartik remembers “Shastri” garu Was moved by the story. He said that he wants to take out time and write something special for the film. He wrote the songs in nine months. ,
Songs composed by Jake Bejoy helped fuel the excitement for the film and Karthik says he had a two-pronged strategy: “One was the music to suit the emotional layer of the story and the other was the ‘synth’ music, as we said. , to the sci-fi parts. We built quite a few using synthesizers.”
The concept of time travel is explored in Telugu and Tamil cinema. Aditya 369, Netru Indru Nalai And 24, For Kartik, who lost his mother in 2014 and is struggling to cope with the loss, the story stems from nothing – the protagonist going back in time to see his mother seemed like a natural progression. was. He wrote the story and screenplay while transmitting loss and pain, but was mindful that it should be fun and engaging: “I deliberately avoided the oft-repeated templates used in sci-fi movies. . This story will also explore the consequences when one tries to interfere with time. ,
Karthik was born to a Telugu mother and a Tamil father. Growing up in Chennai, he speaks Telugu along with Tamil. He intended his first feature film to be a Tamil project, but SR Prabhu and Prakashbabu, producers of Dream Warrior Pictures, realized the scope for the bilingual and it got bigger.
Venela Kishore, Sharwanand and Priyadarshi | photo credit: special arrangement
Sharvananda, a well-known name of Telugu cinema, has occasionally acted in Tamil films- Nalai Namdhe, Engeyum Appodhum And JK Enum Nanbanin Wazkai, Karthik knows Sharwanand and had been telling stories for a few years: “He liked it and wanted to do it in Tamil as well.” The project marks Amala’s return to Tamil cinema after the 1991 film Karpoora Mullai, In Telugu, she was last seen in Sekhar Kammula’s Life is beautiful a decade ago and appeared in a fleeting cameo Manami,
“Sharva, Ritu Verma, Amala ma’am and Nasir sir are in both languages. We cast Priyadarshi and Venela Kishore as friends in Telugu and Sathish and Ramesh Thilak in the Tamil version,” says Kartik, adding that the friends are not with the protagonist. “There is a certain arc to their characters; They add humor but also struggle and resolve in their lives.”
For the Telugu dialogues, Karthik enlisted the help of writer-director Tharun Bhaskar, whose work he loved. Pelli Chopulu,
Ritu Verma and Sharwanand | photo credit: special arrangement
Karthik words kanam/ok ok jeevatham As for his “dream project”, for which he worked with “a dream team”, including his close friend cinematographer Sujit Sarang, editor Srijit Sarang and composer Jake Bejoy: “We are like brothers. A feature film It took me years to make, but they are all established names. They knew my mother and the bond I shared with her, so this project is special for her as well.”
After completing his B.Tech from SRM Valliamai Engineering College, Chennai, Karthik took up dancing and aspired to become a dancer. “I was told that I am good with expressions and I should try acting,” recalls Kartik. He did a few roles but was not happy with the opportunities. “I started writing stories to create my opportunities. I realized that writing came more naturally to me than acting. I wanted to be a storyteller.”
Mr. Karthik with Amala Akkineni on the sets. photo credit: special arrangement
He founded the company Madboys Creatives and began making short and advertising films. This process helped him hone his skills as a writer and director. kanam/ok ok jeevatham There is a test for Karthik: “I have a few more stories, but I want to see how the audience gets my first film.”