'Martin Luther King', starring Sampoornesh Babu in the lead, will head to the theatres on October 27. In this interview, debutante director Puja Kolluru, who is 29, talks about her background, being a female filmmaker, making a responsible political satire, and more.
Saying that the 'Hridaya Kaleyam' actor was born for this role, Puja talks about the support extended by creative producer and screenwriter Venkatesh Maha, also among her mentors. "This is a universal satire that will impress a 5-year-old who enjoys folk songs and a 80-year-old professor who teaches Economics. The value of a vote in a democracy has been amped up in creative ways going beyond the Tamil original 'Mandela'," Puja says.
My father was a journalist. I come from a middle-class family. There was a time when I wanted to excel in Science and also aspire for IAS. I wanted to study a course that combines both Science and Humanities. I secured a seat in an elite college in Pune with a scholarship of Rs 25 lakh after my Class X. When I watched a Spanish film that was about the civil war in Spain from the perspective of a 10-year-old girl, I realized the importance of impactful cinema. That was when I was studying Intermediate. I decided to do a film course as an undergraduate. I got into Ringling College of Art and Design, Florida, US with a scholarship of Rs 1.70 Cr. I was 18 at that time. I learned filmmaking under amazing teachers at the college. It was in 2019 that I entered the Telugu film industry. 'A Woman Who Climbs Trees' is the title of a documentary I made. It was shot in Amazon forests.
Practices in Hollywood are streamlined and organized. Only merit matters there. Recommendations and all don't work. I joined the team of producer Swapna Dutt inspired by her 'Mahanati' and other aspects. Later, I evinced interest in working with Venkatesh Maha because of my liking for 'Care Of Kancharapalem'. He is a filmmaker with strong convictions. I worked as an associate on his featurette in an Amazon Prime Video anthology.
I have written a few stories that I feel are universal. Producers have told me those subjects are ahead of times. Since I am a woman, the producers expect me to make rom-coms and family dramas. I have grown up watching Marvel movies and actioners.
When Y Not Studios asked us to watch 'Mandela' (Tamil), I felt that its remake would helpe me assert my identity and signature in Telugu. 'Martin Luther King' is a political satire that brings to the table my own perceptions. I have always been alive to social discimination in our society. Maha garu pitched my name to Y Not Studios.
The textbook democracy is not found anywhere in our society. Even in cities like Vijayawada, socio-political divisions exist. You will find those elements as are real in 'MLK'. 'Mandela' stayed true to the Tamil political themes, issues. 'MLK' is alive to Telugu politics and Telugu pop culture references. Our film is unbiased. And if the film favours anybody, it is the people. Around the time of elections, some films are made in support of heavyweight leaders. Nobody makes films for the biggest leaders - people. 'MLK' is for the people. I won't say the film is set in Andhra Pradesh or Telangana. It doesn't matter. 'MLK' is not an agenda-based satire. It is a responsible satire.
Social discrimination takes different forms in Tamil and Telugu societies. The discrimination meted out to the cobblers caste has been show in 'MLK'.
Maha and I share common filmmaking values. He gave several inputs as a creative producer. That's why we could make 'MLK' as an adaptation. Music director Smaran Sai is an underrated talent. The five songs that are there just gel with the flow. They don't stand out or stick out.
As a film student, I was never told films have to be divided into entertainment-oriented and message-oriented films. Entertainment has to be a byproduct. What you want to convey through your film must be the foundational theme. I don't see entertainment and message in silos. I am a person who has taken up cinemas as a medium of expression.
Sexism and gender-based prejudices have been dsicussed consciously in today's times, thanks to social media. There was a time when women were discouraged from becoming filmmakers. Today, things have are far less worse. Sexism is deeply entrenched everywhere. Just that it is not in-your-face. It is subtle and casual.
