One hit film! That's all it takes to turn an unknown filmmaker into hot property these days in Tollywood. Take the case of director Srikanth Addala, who debuted with Kotha Bangaru Lokam (KBL) in 2008. The Varun Sandesh-Shweta Basu Prasad starrer went on to become a big hit and Srikanth is now directing Mahesh Babu and Venkatesh together in Seethamma Vakitlo Sirimalle Chettu (SVSC)! Well, he isn't the only director who has followed such a impressive career graph.
Director Sampath Nandi's directorial debut was the small budget Varun Sandesh-Nisha Aggarwal starrer, Yemayindi Ee Vela. His second film was Ram Charan's Racha and buzz is that he could next be working with Pawan Kalyan. Then there is Veerabhadram, who directed two successful small budget flicks like Aha Na Pellanta and Sunil's Poolarangadu before bagging the chance to work with Nagarjuna in his upcoming flick.
Director Vikram Kumar, who scored a hit with Ishq, earlier this year is going to direct Trayam featuring Akkineni Nageswara Rao, Nagarjuna and Naga Chaitanya in the lead.
Success formula
Vikram's case, in fact, proves the old adage that nothing succeeds like success in showbiz. He made his debut with Ishtam in 2001. It turned out to be a dud and it took him 10 years to direct Ishq. "I wouldn't have landed Ishq without the success of 13B and I don't think I would have got the opportunity to direct Trayam without Ishq. Success plays a big role in helping you get a star's dates, investors, etc. But that isn't everything. You still need to come up with good content," shares Vikram adding that the film will hit the floors early next year.
Trust is the key
Winning the producer's confidence, we surmise, is the key for a director's success. Producer Dil Raju, talking about his choice of director for SVSC says, "I liked the way Srikanth dealt with KBL. I knew he had the capability and we decided to take a chance." Similarly, producer RB Choudhary was impressed by director Sampath Nandi's debut Yemayindi Ee Vela. And the rest as they say is history.
Director Harish Shankar, who started off with Shock, featuring Ravi Teja in the lead and went on to do Gabbar Singh with Pawan Kalyan, says winning the trust of the star is very important. "I worked with Ravi Teja for his film Veede and it was he who summoned me to direct Shock and later Mirapakay and that gave me a headstart."
Audience connect
Director Maruthi Dasari, who shot to fame with the small film Ee Rojullo, thinks that a director who knows how to connect with the audience will always be in demand. "Producers know that the audience is looking for such films, which is why they are willing to bet on directors like me. His next film is being produced by the production house owned by Allu Aravind.
Talent is everything
Nagarjuna, who is working with a little-known director Srinivas Reddy for his next flick, thinks that what matters is talent. "There is nothing like a small director and a big director. If a film goes on to be a hit then anyone can become a hit director and vice versa. What's most important is talent. Srinivas Reddy is going to become a big director after the release of our film," says Nag.
Directors leapfrog
l Srikanth Addala Kotha Bangaru Lokam (Varun Sandesh) SVSC (Mahesh & Venky)
l Sampath Nandi Yemayindi Ee Vela (Varun Sandesh) Racha ( Ram Charan)
l Veerabhadram Poolarangaduv (Sunil) Bhai (Nagarjuna)
l Vikram Ishq (Nitin) Trayam (ANR, Nag, Naga Chaitanya)
l Maruthi Dasari Bus Stop (Prince) Allu Arvind's untitled film
l Harish Shankar Shock (Ravi Teja) Gabbar Singh (Pawan Kalyan)
