A love letter to life for these 30 years!!!

I generally dont count numbers.. I dont know why.. but this '30' sounds very special to me.. I think I am slowly getting 

better in the journey I took up... and especially I am at peace with myself.. till my 10th I was too serious and then .. for 

some years I was like.. what the hell am I doing.. after that I know I wanna be a film maker but Clearing exams was my first 

target.. Back in college  my goal was set.. but I was too restless.. and in my job days I was too easy going but the 

restlessness was always there.. and after that It was a struggle.. struggle for survival.. ofcourse it is still there.. but 

time taught me lessons and I am at my best mentally ( I hope I get better ).. I learnt what to forget and what it takes to 

move ahead..

As usual.. negatives first and positives next!

Many ask me, dude you are in neck tight debts, you didnt save a buck and you dont have a house and no chances of marriage.. 

but the point is they are not my troubles.. they are your POV of life troubles, I think mine were different.. I had my 

troubles and doubts.. but I also found that this things might go wrong , it took a long time to understand the concept about 

just concentrate on the work.  It isnt about win and loss.. its about moving earth and heaven to make things happpen.

but I do have few serious regrets!

1) I should have run after a girl back in school days..and something like, you know someone reporting about me at home .. but 

nothing like this ever happened.. damn it.. I was too serious then!.. no adventures at all! 

2) I should have played more cricket.. praying.. I wish I could  do atleast few years before I get too old!

3) Wasted time on people who really doesnt matter.. But then they teach you the real lessons..

Apart from that.. I am at peace with myself!

lets get to the best part..

1) I have an excellent family.. I am not saying they encourage me at everything.. but they finally end up supporting me what 

ever I do..lol

2) I had the pleasure of meeting few excellent people.. Friends (crazy guys.. crazy talks.. spent discussing nonsense stuff 

many nights).. my teachers,professors , colleagues.. strangers.. everyone gave me something and added something to my life!!

3) Books.. now without them I must say I would be incomplete.. harry  potter.. oliver twist,, david copperfield... always 

transport me to childhood!.. LOTR pumps adrenaline!.. 1984 , animal farm.. these ideas blew me away!!.. three musketeers 

stirred romance and adventure in me!!.. Aaah.. I can write pages here!!

4) Movies: When everyone are busy preparing for semesters.. I am busy counting the films I watched.. When I watched 

Sankarabharanam.. I went speechless.. Mani ratnam's 'Dalapati'.. was my oh my good stuff for years.. and finally when I 

watched 'Cast Away'.. I was like.. there is a world I never knew before!!

Motorcycle diaries.. 'pather panchali'... every film I saw .. I moved closer to films and visual medium!!...
 Love of my life!!

5) Music: You simply cant live without it.. I had the pleasure of watching few excellent works.. painting of ravi varma.. 

they still haunt me.. Spic macay in college.. I used to sit at the last in the auditorium.. all alone and let the music sink 

into me!.. few wonderful dance performances!!.. Aaw the beauties of life!!

6) Travel.. again I need to thank my father, he introduced me to travel and again he introduced me to Himalayas!!..  lush 

green mountains and waterfalls...I had the pleasure of visiting 20 states in India.. and yeah I visited a foreign country too 

(Nepal).. beautiful place..

7) Food : I experiment everything.. and strictly veggie stuff after I converted into a veggie!

8) Trees, forests, lonely walks, moon , sun rise .. sunset!

I cant say it was great all the time.. but It was really great..

Thanking everyone who were a part of it in making it beautiful!!

keep rockin
3 cheers
Srikanth

Telugu new wave cinemas???

I hear few comments like, that was a good attempt , but audience didnt receive it well... They quote 'Orange' or 1 'nenkkadine'.. n co!!

But Lets talk about the problem of setting up a story and weird characterizations in movies!!

( I am ofcourse not speaking about those 40 crore budget films, ( Yevadu, rabhasa, power stuff)..I cant even think of anything about those films.. they are outright loud and things go as they like.. lets say Amen right away..)


The thing is I am all open for a good cinema, so when I got few good references, I tried to watch this movie 'Orange' yesterday!!

The basic problem with the movie is.. He tried to take a subtle emotion and tried to shout it aloud.. Love is a personal emotion you dont shout.

anyways.. I spared ten minutes.. and believe me that is the time you set a tone to your story.. and I stopped atching it further..

The opening scene .. where ' Hero keeps drawing paint on Heroine to forget her, and Heroines father comes and tells the goons if the guy doesn't love he must be kicked and a fight starts.. ofcourse hero hits everyone and then Police come and a policeman tries to understands the hero and tries to talk it out with him!!'..

This is itself is loud, and so atleast handling it in a subtle way will atleast make .. Take thattathin marayathu.. we open with a guy in a police station.. and police ask him about the story..and you tell yourself this character is really true!!

But in this movie, he placed in a foreign country.. and hero will be speaking in telugu.. Heroines father comes and begins to speak in telugu.. finally a  police officer comes and speaks in telugu... and he outright finds this interesting  and tries to find the truth..Thats so weird.. If you dont love someone, you wont shout like that around the world.. with unknown policemen..

The story doesnt need a foreign country there, as a fact it is a hindrance to the story.. Imagine few telugu guys walking around and speaking in telugu among foreigners.. this is more distracting than a typical set up.. so you spent more money just to show off!!

When you are taking a story.. if  you dont want to make an experiment.. take something usual and work in usual way no problem.

if you are taking up something that is new, stick to it, adding commercial stuff to it neither satisfies a guy who  loves movies nor guys who want masala.. only few people end up watching it.. and then you keep saying I tried something new but audience didnt accept.. my question did you stay loyal to the story at all first??


The bad thing is , now producers who are ready to spend 40 crores knowing that it is not neccesary then will think twice to invest on a project that is honest!!..

These kind of attempts in a way kill new genre cinema!!

One more film I quote is '1' nenokkadine..I hear few guys saying that it is a master piece and we didnt appeaciate it.. This film really starts well actually.. but then repeated dialogues, and weird acting from the doctor, policemen take us away from the story.. An item song is the final nail in the coffin.. and again a weird character of Posani in UK kills the flow!!

WHy do you create weird chracters that jump away from the flow.. when you are attemting a psychological thriller??..

Bramhanandam's , posani 's wont work if you are trying new stuff!!

Take soodhu kavvum.. you just stick to the characters from the start and you laugh and cry with them..

The thing is .. we dont have proper films with proper research ... nor we have have sensible films either.. Watching Banglore days.. made me wonder.. what a beauty malayalam industry is..

The logic is simple, you need a proper script first.. only then  star power will add value.. if you want a star power.. plz dont try something new.. this will kill the oppurtunities for the coming years.. and producers will blame audience that they are not ready to watch new movies!!

 Dulquer Salman, Nazriya nazim, Nivin Pauly... these guys are amazing in all the movies I have seen... This is what stardom is!! High time TFI learn from them!!..

Keep rockin
3 cheers
Challa Srikanth

Falling in Love.. all over... again!!!!...

First things first, I love movies!

At one point of time , i was interested in two things like any other kid, movies and business. But slowly I understood that business is not something I really wanna be a part of. I am shy from the start, and the world created by dickens, Wodehouse and after few years by Marquez took me away further from ambition to peace. And ofcourse, Al pacino, Tom hanks and mainly Clint Eastwood were a part of life! So when most of my friends are worrying about GPA's, I am counting the books and films I can watch in every semester!Even when working in IBM, it was always about books and movies, I pretty well know I will be soon and it happened after two years.

And hence the Song of life. Many guys asked who among the four guys are you!..lol.. believe me all four characters, are inspired by few friends. I never write about myself in scripts, I just write what the story needs. And after 4 years I look back, though I lost the total investment , I never regret making SOL. That was a story I completely believed in.. yes I will change the screenplay, I will change the way I shot the film, but the core of the characters will be the same! they are the innocent characters that you really  see in a college!


But then I also learnt that to continue what you wanna do, you also ought be succesful, make a good film but also make sure and plan how to sell it.. else you will be workless in the coming days.. after all I spent four years working here and there..but I am also glad I worked for few films in this time... I had the pleasure of working with few blind kids, a kid taught me how to use Braille!, and I traveled a lot in between!!.... something good happened.. but all the same I was out of work.

I was reading the interview of Suhasini maniratnam recently, she was saying, Film making is mentally and physically a strenuous job, I left it to my husband. I really agree with her.. in way!!...

But then the thrill of film making is something that cant be expressed in your words, yes, you will be drained by the end of the venture (or say war).. but imagine this..  every minute, every second, you will be thinking about the film, either about the picturization, or the music, sets , props.. or even when you are discussing the budget.. you are always thinking about the film... And that is why I love Song of life ..

In these four years I worked on few scripts, which I will definitely shoot in near future, and a rough outline based on the Satyajit Ray's struggle in making Pather Panchali!! But I really wanted to get away from everything I did, I really wanted to go out of my comfort zone and take up  a new genre... I never even thought of doing... And I read Rohit Mishra's story long back and it suddenly struck me, this might be the one I can try!

Hence #TheBook!!! and  the feel is back again, the kind of house for a guy like Prof Vibhuti Nag, where can I find such a place, what exactly are my characters thinking at a particular instant in a particular scene... what kind of dress particular actor is wearing..an of course frustration if something goes wrong and pulling back yourself again and going ahead.. making friends!!

"The woods are lovely, dark and deep,  
But I have promises to keep,  
And miles to go before I sleep,  
And miles to go before I sleep. "

Wish I could do this and make it big... atleast big enough to survive for few days in mountains where I can just read, watching a waterfall!!...greenery filling my eyes and water sound in my ears!! That is what I always wanted...

Three Cheers to  life..

Keep Rockin
Srikanth

Romantic fool... poli'tricks' and Failure!!!

Summer evenings are special.. especially in my pent house.. the view , breeze makes it perfect.. So here I am writing my blog.. after a long long time...!!

Easy things first and rough stuff for later!!

I was watching highway.. there is this scene .. where the heroine says.. "lets run away from this place, we will settle down on a mountain.. I will cook food.. you do some work!".. I fell in love with the character then and there!. Awesome writing.. but I think it was more personal..

I told the same thing to a girl some years ago.. an the girl told me.. its good to read this stuuf (Practically not possible!!)..

lol..Looking back .. i feel silly..  I am a romantic fool.. indeed!!..but they are the moments which you really cherish!!.. few awesome places I saw and few situations will be with me a for a longtime..

One moment .. that will always remember, I was in my longterm coaching in Ratnam , nellore. Now a days, with internet, mobiles and everything you can hear to a song anytime you like. But  at that time.. to listen to a song is a privilege!!.. And one day; I got a chance to listen to songs in 'Walkman' at night.. I climbed the tank and slept there alone listening to Rehman.. I remember I heard that 'Vina  Vinara' (patriotic song) in roja.. It is still in my memory and will be in my memory..

Many many wonderful moments.. that is what life is all about.. yeah.. Thanks to Highway.. it almost sent me into a trance with a single dialogue!!.. May be that is the reason I love movies!!

Now lets jump to something serious!!

My father is an inspiration.. In a way he a typical middle class man.. but what sets him apart is his principles.. I know most of the people around thinks.. being a ticket collector in trains.. is a jackpot.. and especially easy money is something we cant miss. But he never took a single rupee from anyone.. and I know he even wrote tickets for few and adjusted money from his pocket who cant afford. This was something I always cherished in him.. and he is a staunch Communist party admirer..

Now that he is retired.. party members asked him to compete in the elections.. And he accepted..to participate for ZTPC..

To tell an honest truth .. I was never excited by politics.. apart from my work.. I like to read.. and follow test cricket.. and many times people asked me, srikanth do you live this world at all.. do u atleast read newspaper everyday.. so i know nothing about politics!

But I felt happy that is contesting because we need people like him out there.. So it was also my work to support him!!

But funnily people around him started to oppose this move.. they are saying politics isnt for you.. people in this village wont vote unless you give them money!!

I cant help answering them...I said " Dad stood in the elections because he wants to do some service.. if people doesnt wont for them.. and they vote for someone taking money .. it is their problem.. I am glad someone who dooesnt expect anything except to do some service is participating.. more people like him should enter politics that is the only way we can expect change!!

I got an interesting reply.. "Srikanth , you are not talking like a guy in 20's but like a guy in 60's..this kind of talk will do in films... no one will vote here without money!!.. and by the way.. What if he lose!!?.. this will be a disgrace for us!!

I wonder what the hell my age has to do with Ideology and worse still what is this "What if I lose syndrome is?".

If you sit and worry .. what if I fail..  you will never.. I  prefer to try  and end up a loser than a guy who never tried!!

Many it is all about trying .. and learning .. and improving!!!

We need people who can give hope and who can fight for the right stuff!!

Amen!!

Keep rockin
3 cheers
Srikanth

Time!!!... satire!! .. and a letter to RD!!

Oh my god… it has been a long time since I wrote something in this blog. Kind of dumped it.. but the truth is life got busy, so busy that I wonder what  happened to those days, where I slept on the grass  in the upper ground early morning.. and tried to smell the earth and grass. Sounds magical to me. Didn’t plan a trip too for the past 6 months.. yeah I wish I could sneak in a day and go somewhere near a big water source and hear the sound of water!!

Yeah… time is something that’s running very very  fast.

I was talking with a friend , a film maker few days back, he told me that they used to come and park their vehicles at the place where we stay now and go to the theatre nearby ( didn’t use the parking of the theatre) …just to save some parking charges and used it to buy popcorn .. man I loved the anecdote!!

Okay.. time for some dark comedy!!.. actually I love dark comedy.. but even I have my limits.

TV.. is setting new  heights in it.. its  not just about those non stop.. who can cry in every frame (read mega serials).. now you can here weird psycho sounds .. like.. : jumping jhapang gili gili he”.. This is too much!! Brainwash at its best!!

 here goes the story, a zen teacher saw saw a white man and a colored  man fighting, he went to them.. saw their wounds.. took the blood mixed them and told to find which is colored …

Now a pesticide company(read soft drinks) from USA  uses this story..  we see a Punjabi team and a Kolkata team supporter fighting.. bang comes the hero , mixes the pepsi in both bottles and he asks them, now tell me which pepsi is from Punjab and which pepsi is is from kolkata!!.. lol.. guys.. dark comedy at its best!!...

And yeah now to the core of the blog, a letter to Rahul Dravid, this should have been written long long back.. I thought of writing it many times and I don’t know why it never happened. But then I was watching this match with Punjab XI.. dravid fumbled to take david hussey’s catch but finally managed to take it, the look in his face that he almost dropped it and the relief that he managed to take it, made me fall in love .. which happened many times before!! The catch is not life threatening, but the shear intensity and professionalism he carries is something that will make you smile!!  In a way I learnt few points in life by watching his batting!!

The days I didn’t even study for exams to watch him bat all day were always memorable; The defence shots are something an artist would love; and the way the damage is done unnoticed is something you notice very slowly!!.. cover drives.. playing spinners ..everything to perfection!!

I felt this in very few things, music, travelling, reading..!!

So its always like two things, watching cricket and watching rahul dravid bat!!

Thanks a ton mate for some wonderful moments!!

Keep rockin

Three cheers

srikanth

Things that matter!!

It was a long time since I wrote something  apart from my story works. Its good to be back and blog!!

We were discussing this and that yesterday; and our director was telling, its all over in a week challa, we are going to deliver the film and we are done with it. That’s a strange feeling you know, to be a part of something , completing it and then move on to something new. And yeah I am going see my name on the screen for the first time. I am supposed to be excited, but ‘no’.. I don’t feel a thing. May be I pretty well know long back that I will be a part of films and my job is to give my best out there and just wait for the result.nothing else matters.

Saying all this , I felt sad after completing the shoot of anecdote. I wouldn’t say it’s a masterpiece or something. But it was a new experience which I loved every moment. Now I can happily laugh at that feeling. Please don’t ask me why!!

Lets talk about  movies and the craft of movie making itself. I love to talk about films, and I absolutely love the craft of film making. I was talking with a film maker yesterday; some of his words really took my breath away, we don’t make films for others, its for us. You should always remember that!!  Well It was a long time since I heard such words. Felt very happy.

The blog sounds pretty serious..lol

Keep rockin

3 cheers

Srikanth!!

Life is beautiful!!!

I am in the best of my moods.. so another lengthy chit – chat.. God Bless!!

Last year at the same time.. I was actually a bit down!! Things I planned didn’t go well at all.. and everything I tried went wrong!! Here I am back to my basics .. and starting again!!.. Thanks to 2k12.. which was amazing!!  I had the pleasure of travelling  for 2-3 months.. and the spirits high and raring to go!! Three cheers to nature , life and love!! Sikkim, Meghalaya, Assam, jammu, Haryana, delhi rajasthan and then Uttarkhand again!! It was memorable!! Now the only states left untouched are Gujarat, Orissa, HP, and J&K is very much left untouched !! Need to cover it soon!! With the way its getting Hot.. I better rush to cover the remaining places!!

My first love in life is to listen to stories!! Thanks to my mom and others.. who told me the small stories of Ramayan and mahabharat!!  Especially to my Mom’s sister.. who told me some awesome stories.. I don’t exactly remember the story.. but it’s about a King who went to war.. and won against all odd’s. But I remember the feel of it.. I wouldn’t eat until she started the story!! That was my love for stories!! May slowly I didn’t have the access for stories.. I was busy with my studies.. But then that too helped me.. the physics I read helped me to think in a different way, a scientific approach to life!! Now I am able to enjoy my stories and life better!!

But then I am not that good everytime!! I remembered a small incident recently, there used to be a Kid who had some stammering trouble and I used to make fun of him. A girl came to me and told me why I am acting so rude! I still remember the girl who told me this.. I took the suggestion from her.. and I tried not to be rude from then ( Bless her she had a good heart when she was a kid!!).. funnily she fell in love with a guy from our class and I heard he is literally torturing her!! Life is weird.. If I meet him I am going to kick the hell out of him!! And another very bad thing I did was in my college days, I laughed at a guy who is suffering..( I had my reasons..) all the same the damage is done.. it almost took 3 years.. for us to get back to usual.. I wonder if we still are not at ease!! I wish I wouldn’t have done such silly mistakes.. and  did waste few unnecessary moments on wrong people which was of no use!! I should have concentrated of myself.

But still I tried my best to be good , I had the chance to manipulate people to get my work done, I know I can do it.. But I didn’t do it!! I tried to deal things fair and square giving an option!! ( I know a chap who is going laugh like hell after reading this..) but yeah.. I stick to my principles!! A girl was telling me ..’Srikanth’.. you are one of the decent chaps I ever talked to!! My pleasure!! I try my best to be good!!

Lets speak of beauty!!.. What are the most beautiful things I ever saw!! Actually most of my beautiful anecdotes were when I travelled with my father.. (With Mom.. its always food).. I saw few parrots which suddenly flew around me in a dense forest valley.. I saw few doves flying in the evening suns.. not to mention the few  excellent terrains I explored!! Grassy.. bushy.. rock.. and full desert and watery areas~!!

Apart from that.. Lonely walks.. especially those nostalgic mid night walks in ISM, Cyclying in rainy nights, rain itself is a pleasure, writings of Dickens, Wodehouse, narayanan ( They take you to another world!!) gully cricket, just to travel through forests.. and watch those green trees.. esp in spring time!! You would see some light red leaves which you can never forget!! Waterfalls, rivers.. and the mighty sea itself!!

Writing, reading and of the things watching things around you and noticing the changes around!!

I was sitting at a window in the train and kept thinking of all these beautiful things!!

I just thought Life is beautiful.. if something goes wrong… its just that we deserve something better!!

Keep Rockin

Three Cheers

Srikanth