Stars : Star Interviews : Gopimohan

Santosham, Venky, Dhee, Lakshyam, Ready, King, Namo Venkatesha, and now Dookudu , all these films have one common name - Gopimohan. Today, he's one of the most sought after writers in Telugu film industry. In the last decade he's associated with several of the blockbusters either as screenplay writer or storywriter or part of script brainstorming sessions. Well-versed with the screenplay techniques, he keeps up-to-date with what's going on in world cinema. As his latest and most-awaited film, Mahesh Babu's Dookudu is set for release, Gopimohan talks to Telugucinema.com about his journey as writer in general and the movie in particular.

Let's begin with Dookudu. Tell us about the movie .

Dookudu happened unexpectedly as Srinu Vytla was planning something else with other stars. When this project with Mahesh came to Srinu Vytla, we toyed with several ideas from planning a big budgeted epic movie to doing a love story to a hilarious comedy. Finally we felt that we have to plan this time a film that has solid storyline. Decided not to confuse the audiences with too many twits, unnecessary screenplay gimmickry and rather base the movie on a pucca story.

Dookudu is based on strong human emotions with which every one easily connects. And entertainment is gelled with the script perfectly; comedy is not brought in as a separate track, but the element was there in the basic story itself. So Dookudu is as strong on emotions as on entertainment.
Screenplay of Dookudu is fresh and intelligent. And it doesn't deviate from the core point of the story.

But people expect sheer entertainment from Srinu Vytla’s film, and nothing else.

Comedy is there. In fact, the last 20 minutes puts the audiences in splits but as I said, the film is not based on mere entertainment. After the release, people would be surprised to see this kind of movie from Srinu Vytla. The film is perfect exhibit to look at the other side of his talent.

As a script writer, how did you design Mahesh's character?

For the first time, I have written a script that elevates a star to show off his histrionics to the hilt. Even in his career, Mahesh is doing this kind of role for the first time, a role that demanded him to talk in different accents including Telangana accent in some part. And never in his career, was he offered to drive the movie with an attitude.

And even in the comedy scenes, Mahesh is not a dummy figure. He also does comedy along with Brahmanandam and M S Narayana.

Tell us about your association with director Srinu Vytla?

From the film Venky, I have been associated with him as a writer and since then my journey with writer Kona Venkat is also moving forward. After Venky, I did Dhee, Dubai Seenu, Ready, Namo Venkatesha and King with Srinu Vytla. Association with him brought me great recognition and work satisfaction. Srinu Vytla is one of the best directors in Tollywood and is capable of making movies in varied genres but he is trapped in doing his brand of entertainers for various reasons. A big director once told me this: “If a director presents a movie like a comedy and hooks the audiences to the plot and slowly unravels his true message of the story which was the original intention, and the audiences respond to his/hers message, then he/she is should be crowned as great director. In India, only Raj Kumar deserves to be called great director.”

I see such facet in Srinu Vytla. Dookudu exposes this other side of Srinu Vytla to the audiences. You can notice better technical and production values – fantastic cinematography, upbeat music, and stylish taking in this film which were lacking in Vytla’s recent movies.

Picturisation of the songs are awesome. Especially, I loved the way song of “Chuli Buli..” was shot. It is visual extravaganza.

You stuck to providing to either story or screenplay and don't pen the dialogue. Why?

In the Telugu film industry, except Trivikram, no other writer has succeeded in all these three faces of writing for a movie - writing story, screenplay and dialogues. I know my strength and my weaknesses. I can’t travel in two boats writing screenplay and penning the dialogues at the same time. And when I see the dialogues of other writers (mostly Kona Venkat) who penned to the scenes that I created, I always feel they are doing better job. So no qualms about it.

Tell us about the working style of Kona and you?

Kona Venkat is hardworking personality but he goes on instinct. He comes up with ideas in a jiffy. Both of us had written many of the scripts in a week. We understand each other.

What did you learn from Srinu Vytla?

One that I admire in him is that his knack of timing in comedy. That is amazing and he knows how to give extra tinge to the written scene. And his ability to make films that seem simpler to the viewers. He doesn’t burden audiences.

Planning of turning a director?

Yes, I have plans. But before turning director, I am planning to produce variety of scripts first. But yes, I might turn to direction. As you know, I have begun my career as assistant director. After finishing my Engineering, I moved to Hyderabad to pursue my dream of joining in films. When I landed in Hyderabad, through friends I got acquaintance with Sunil and R P Patnaik who introduced me to Chandra Siddhartha who was planning movie. I joined in his movie as assistant director but it was stalled. Later I worked with directors like N Shankar, B Gopal and Teja. While I was working with Teja for Nuvvu Nenu, Dasaradh got chance to direct a film with Nagarjuna. So Dasaradh asked me to write screenplay. Thus my journey as writer begun with Santosham (2002). Dasaradh and Srinu Vytla played important roles in my career.

You have completed a decade as writer in the industry. When you look back, what do you feel you actually gained and what did you lose?

Fame, recognition, money are the obvious gains. But I think I am slowly losing ‘sensible feelings’. When I came to industry, I had dreams of changing the rules of the movie industry. Inspired by Ram Gopal Varma's Shiva and Manirathnam's Geetanjali, I thought once I entered into the movie field and get a break, I would redefine the moviemaking style. A decade later, I am not as enthusiastic as I was, because I know the hard reality now.

In the initial days, I wrote a novel script with a title - February 30, everyone who heard the story praised me but it was never made. 10 years later, very recently I saw a similar kind of film in Hindi got made and released. That is how your dreams are shattered and realise the facts of life.

Of all the films you have written, which movie was the challenge to write?
Santosham is the most challenging work that I did so far. The film’s story is such that too many characters are necessary. So it was challenge for me to make the screenplay that doesn’t confuse the audiences. And creating drama in a story that has no ‘villain’ was even tougher. Now, Dookudu occupies the same place as the most challenging work I have done.

Which do you regret doing?

As a writer I feel, Jhummandi Naadam and Namo Venkatesha are not my best scripts. Only after release of these movies, I have decided not to accept too many films.

Most people criticize that Telugu film industry is churning out only crass movies with lousy scripts. Your comment.

I don't deny the fact that we are not giving best output but change doesn’t happen overnight. We are slowly evolving. Things are changing for better. It takes time to get to see complete different scripts and films as audiences also need to be exposed to qualitative cinema.

Can you list some Telugu films (that are released in the last decade or so) that you feel as best examples for good script writing in various genres?

1. Nuvve Kaavali (Classic example for simplicity and clarity in script writing. Characters are straight out of from daily life.)

2. Bommarillu (How to hook audiences with emotions? Check this film's script for its perfect scene structure and graph of the lead character. Every one can relate with theme.)

3. Okkadu (Another good example for an excellent screenplay)

4. Gamyam/Aa Naluguru/Aithe/Anand/Anthapuram/Missamma/A Film By Aravind/Prasthanam/Vedam
(The reason I choose these films because all these fall in the category of offbeat movies. Yet, they are successful movies. Each film has its own style in screenplay but all of them hold audience's interest till the end despite the slow pace. Some of these movies had loopholes in narration but all of them told in interesting manner.)

5. Toliprema/Happy Days/Anandam/Ye Maya Chesave
(Perfect scripts for peppy-youthful movies)

6. Khushi / Athadu / Arya
(You can find freshness in the scripting of these movies and moreover, they are best examples for character driven scripts.)

7. Nuvvosthanante Nenodhantana/Santosham/Nuvvu Naku Nachav/Chirunavvutho/Manasantha Nuvve/Manmadhudu/Nuvvu Leka Nenu Lenu/Malleeswari/Swayamvaram/Mr Perfect/Aadavari Maatalaki Ardhale Verule/Badri/Tammudu

(These films are 'feel good' movies. Some of these are superb in department of story & screenplay, some have strong dialogue. These Scripts worked very well with logical dialogue conviction & some with very good story elevation at a point)

8. Pokiri/Magadheera/Simhadri/Indra/Arundhati/Narasimhanaidu/Samarasimha Reddy
(These are completely aimed at playing to the gallery and they did perfectly. In true sense of 'good script writing', they come nowhere but in the genre that is very unique to Telugu films, they are best examples to look at.)

9. Dhee/Athanokkade/Satyam/Jayam/Dil/Idiot/Ready/Aadhi/Chitram/Nuvvu Nenu/7G Brindavan Colony/10 th class/Bindaas/Yagnam/Sye/Khadgam/Ullasamga Uthsahamga/Allari/Nachavule/Ashta Chamma/Alaa Modhalaindhi/Itlu Sravani Subramaniam/Prema Kavali/Andhala Ramudu/Maryadha Ramanna/Kotha Bangaru Lokam/Anasuya/Mantra

(Though most of the scripts have regular formulaic stories but have influential and strong script elements to entertain the common filmgoer. They are not entirely different scripts and at the same time they didn't follow beaten to death tracks completely.)

10. Mass/Amma Nanna Tamil Ammayi/Lahiri Lahiri Lahirilo/Vikramarkudu/Ranam/Lakshyam/Sankar Dada/Varsham/Bunny/Badra/Kick/Bunny/Krishna/Don/Billa/Yamadonga/Simha/Venky/Kandireega/Lakshmi/Tulasi/Tagore/Desamudhuru/Jayam manadhera/Premante Idhera/Suryavamsam/Nuvvu Vasthavani/Raja/Sankranti

(All these films scripts are very formulaic in nature but pace and they do have right structure of Act 1, Act 2 and Act 3.)

Books that you recommend for wannabe screenwriters?

Apart from books of well-known script guru Syd Field, the following books are essential ones on script writing..

1.The Tools of Screenwriting by David Howard and Edward Mabley
2. How To Build A Great Screenplay by David Howard
3. John Truby presents The Anatomy of Story
4. 45 MASTER CHARACTERS by Victoria Lynnn Schmidt
5. Teach Yourself SCREENWRITING
6. Making a Good Writer Great for Screenwriters by Linda Seger
7. FILM SCRIPTWRITING a practical manual -DWIGHT V.SWAIN
8.SCREEN WRITING UPDATED new (and conventional) ways of writing for the screen - LINDA ARONSON
9.THE THIRD ACT with a great ending to your screenplay by DREW YANNO
10. REWRITE -PAUL CHITLIK
11.WRITING FOR EMOTIONAL IMPACT by IGLESIAS
12.STORY by ROBERT MCKEE
13.SCREENWRITING the sequence approach -PAUL JOSEPH GULINO
14.ALTERNATIVE SCRIPTWRITING -KEN DANCYGER and JEFF RUSH
15.THE SCREENPLAY by MARGARET MEHRING

Interviewed by JP

Comments

Top of Page