Horror thriller 'Pindam' is going to hit the cinemas on December 15. Directed by Saikiran Daida, the film features Srinivas Avasarala in a pivotal character named Loknath, who researches supernatural elements. He runs into Easwari Rao's character, who is knowledgeable about the subject.
Also starring Srikanth Sriram (as the male protagonist), Kushee Ravi, and Ravi Varma, the film is produced by Yeshwanth Daggumati.
I watched a short film done by director Daida. 'Smoke' is its title. The twist that comes in the end is totally unexpected. I saw potential in Daida. 'Smoke' and 'Pindam' belong to a similar genre. To be frank, I am not a fan of this genre. 'Prema Katha Chitram' changed my perspective, though. I was surprised by how the audience enjoyed the horror-comedy.
You can narrate a story with conviction if you manage to scare the audience. But the scares shouldn't be the end goal of your movie. There has to be an emotional justification in the end. Even ghosts have unfulfilled desires that can be mined for emotions.
I have no scenes with Srikanth Sriram in the movie. His character and mine live in two different timelines. My scenes are mainly with Easwari Rao, who transforms completely once she is in front of the camera.
I had some reservations with the title 'Pindam' initially. I did voice them out but I didn't insist. As per the story, a fetus takes the form of a spirit. The unborn soul is referred to as 'Pindam' in the context of this film. I don't think the title is problematic or inappropriate.
I am a writer-director myself but when I do others' films as an actor, I get to learn a lot. 'Pindam' and Ravi Teja's 'Eagle' have taught me a great deal. I got to learn about the styles of various cinematographers and editors over the years. 'Pindam' has been made by a passionate filmmaker. I am confident that he and the producer will go on to make bigger projects after this.
'Eagle', 'Kismath' and 'Kanyasulkam' are my upcoming movies as an actor. As a director, I am planning to do a murder mystery. It will be a complete contrast to my previous films, especially 'Phalana Abbayi Phalana Ammayi'. Directing is about managing people 70% of the time. It is a stressful craft. I take up acting assignments only when I believe the director's ideas/vision resonates with me.
It is not true that OTT content has to be about violence and/or sexual content. The recent web series 'Kumari Srimathi' (streaming on Amazon Prime Video) has been a big hit. (Avasarala played a role in the series, besides being its creator and co-writer). It had only family-friendly content. 'Kumari Srimathi' is going to have a second season. Making a web series is difficult, given the long-form format. A web series is as long as 300 minutes. The pacing logics vary from feature films to series.
I don't see cinema as a message-giving medium. Any message has to be implicit. When my directorial 'Jyo Achyutananda' was out, many told me they patched up with their siblings.
After Nani's 'Gentleman', I have done serious roles like the one in 'Okka Kshanam'. Due to the impact of social media, humourous roles have been written more these days.
