Watch | Directors’ Take: How director Sashi Kiran Tikka approached ‘Goodachari’ and ‘Major’ like an American indie

The Telugu film Goodachari (2018), a coming-of-age spy action thriller, announced the arrival of a new writer-director, Sashi Kiran Tikka. He had honed his skills on the sets of Sekhar Kammula’s Leader and trod a path familiar to aspirants, filled with rejections when he set out to make his debut film. The turnaround happened when he and his friend, actor and writer Adivi Sesh, decided to collaborate. The spy thriller that doffed its hat to older Telugu spy dramas such as Gudachari 116 and Agent Gopi stood out that year, alongside other memorable films such as Brochevarevarura and Care of Kancharapalem. Goodachari was appreciated for its edge-of-the-seat narrative as well as smart production management that ensured a slick film within a limited budget. Sashi and Sesh had a similar approach for some portions of their next film, Major, the biopic of Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan. Now writing his next film, Sashi Kiran discusses his approach to work, learning from the New York Film Academy (NYFA) and Sekhar Kammula.

Directors’ Take

This series of interviews shines the spotlight on the newer crop of directors who made their mark in Telugu cinema in recent years. The series is an attempt to discuss how the larger-than-life Telugu films that capture nationwide attention co-exist with refreshing small and medium budget films.

Edited excerpts from the conversation: