The trailer of Vimanam, a Telugu-Tamil bilingual film starring Samuthirakani as the protagonist, indicates an emotional story of father-son bonding. Samuthirakani plays a differently-abled father who wants to fulfil his son’s dream of a journey aboard an aeroplane, though he cannot afford the tickets. Siva Prasad Yanala, who has written and directed the film that releases in theatres on June 9, is best known as one of the writers for the Telugu comedy television show Jabardasth.
Siva Prasad has a hearty laugh when asked about his writing credits for two very different projects. “Jabardasth fetched me a name in television circles and helped me earn a steady income. Now I want to tell stories my way,” he says, during this interview in Hyderabad. Like comedy actor-writer Venu Yeldandi who sprung a surprise with Balagam, does Siva Prasad hope to make a mark with his directorial debut Vimanam? “The response to the private screenings in different cities has been good so far and I am waiting to see how the audience will react to the film once it is released.”
The source material for Vimanam, Siva Prasad recalls, came from a personal space. A few years ago, he used to live in the Balanagar area in the vicinity of Begumpet airport. “My four-year-old son used to be fascinated with the sight of aircraft. Many times I would lift him on my shoulders so that he could get a better view of the aircraft. He was keen to get into an aircraft and I told him that I would take him on a flight.”
