Hanu-Man, the first film from director Prasanth Varma’s superhero series, will be released soon. The Telugu film will also be dubbed in multiple languages. Prasanth debuted with the multi-genre Telugu film Awe in 2018, which won the National Film Awards for best visual effects and make-up. Those who follow Telugu cinema would be aware of his short films that got him noticed by stars such as Ravi Teja, Sundeep Kishan and Kajal Aggarwal and yet, Prasanth had his doubts when stars offered to produce his first feature film. He wondered if he would be asked to tailor the script to suit a star’s image. He was convinced when stylist Prasanthi Tipirneni and actor Nani reposed faith that his script will stay intact and produced it under Wall Poster Cinema. At his Hyderabad office, Prasanth reflects on his journey from ad films to feature films, his interest in mythological stories and his training in technical aspects that contributed to his directorial skills.
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 interview:
