{"id":554708,"date":"2025-04-20T05:52:26","date_gmt":"2025-04-20T00:22:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/industryhit.com\/t\/?p=554708"},"modified":"2025-04-20T05:52:26","modified_gmt":"2025-04-20T00:22:26","slug":"director-indraganti-mohana-krishna-interview-about-sarangapani-jathakam","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/industryhit.com\/t\/director-indraganti-mohana-krishna-interview-about-sarangapani-jathakam\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cInstead of being the kind of film you wipe off and forget right after watching, Sarangapani Jatakam is one you\u2019ll talk about for four to five days.\u201d \u2013 Director Indraganti Mohana Krishna"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cInstead of being the kind of film you wipe off and forget right after watching, Sarangapani Jatakam is one you\u2019ll talk about for four to five days.\u201d<\/span><\/strong><\/em>
\n\u2013 Director Indraganti Mohana Krishna<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Versatile star Priyadarshi plays the title role in the film Sarangapani Jatakam. After Gentleman and Sammohanam, this marks another collaboration between director Indraganti Mohana Krishna and producer Sivalenka Krishna Prasad. The film is set for release on April 25 under the prestigious banner of Sridevi Movies. The lead actress is Rupa Kodavayur, with Vennela Kishore, Viva Harsha, Avasarala Srinivas, and Sai Srinivas Vadlamani playing key roles. PG Vinda handled cinematography, Vivek Sagar composed the music, and editing was by Venkatesh K Marthand. The recently released trailer has received a very good response. As part of the promotions, Indraganti spoke to the media.<\/span><\/p>\n

After a long time, you\u2019re bringing out a full-fledged comedy like those by Jandhyala or EVV. How did this come about?<\/span><\/p>\n

Indraganti:<\/span>
\nBack in the day, Telugu cinema would see at least five or six full-length comedies a year. That number has declined. We\u2019ve been leaning more towards action. Even when a comedy does come out, it\u2019s usually not driven by story or character\u2014it\u2019s just a couple of comic scenes. I\u2019ve wanted to make a story-driven comedy for the past 5\u20136 years. I had a rough idea too.<\/span><\/p>\n

After Yashoda, producer Sivalenka Krishna Prasad said, \u201cIt\u2019s been five years since Sammohanam, let\u2019s do another film.\u201d I shared my idea, and he liked it. Around the same time, I watched Balagam, which starred Priyadarshi. Later, I saw his web series Save the Tigers and his film Mail on Aha. I felt he would be perfect for a humorous film. When I called him and explained, he readily agreed. We locked the project in November 2023 and started shooting by March 2024.<\/span><\/p>\n

What kind of film is Sarangapani Jatakam going to be?<\/span><\/p>\n

Usually, comedy films feature a standard set of comedians. This film breaks that mold\u2014everyone plays new, different roles. It\u2019s a full-fledged light-hearted fun film. My aim was to make a movie that people wouldn\u2019t just laugh at and forget, but one that sticks with them\u2014makes them talk about the characters and dialogues for days. This film gave me immense satisfaction. Every filmmaker usually has some dissatisfaction with a project\u2014be it technical or budgetary. But with this film, that was minimal. I found the right cast and could make it exactly the way I envisioned. Personally, I\u2019m very happy with Sarangapani Jatakam.<\/span><\/p>\n

The underlying theme of this film is astrology. How much do you believe in horoscopes? What homework did you do for this subject?<\/span><\/p>\n

Indraganti:<\/span>
\nI do my homework thoroughly for any subject. When it comes to astrology, I stand in the middle. Some predictions made to me have come true, and some haven\u2019t.<\/span><\/p>\n

For example, a week before the release of Gentleman in June 2016, I had a major accident. A year before that, in 2015, a friend (not a professional astrologer but someone who loved palm reading) looked at my hand and asked if I had a driver. When I said yes, he warned me not to travel without one between May and August 2016. I forgot about it\u2014until I had the accident in July.<\/span><\/p>\n

Later, he looked at my birth chart and told me, \u201cYou want to be in cinema? You won\u2019t make your first film until you\u2019re 32.\u201d And indeed, I made my first film at 32. Some things happened, others didn\u2019t. So if you ask me whether I believe or not, I\u2019d say I\u2019m still studying it.<\/span><\/p>\n

This movie doesn\u2019t question beliefs\u2014but explores what happens when belief turns into blind belief. Belief, when constructive, empowers us. Blind belief weakens and destabilizes us\u2014and can lead to irrational behavior that affects not just us but those around us. We\u2019ve portrayed this chaos in a comedic way. There are no lectures or sermons in the film. Everything in life, including belief, should have limits. Belief should strengthen us\u2014not drive us mad. That\u2019s what I wanted to convey.<\/span><\/p>\n

Every character in the film is unique. The hero, Darshi, works in the automobile industry. His friend, played by Vennela Kishore, is a service consultant. All of Kishore\u2019s dialogues are automobile-themed. We\u2019ve created each character in an interesting way and didn\u2019t mock any individual\u2019s beliefs.<\/span><\/p>\n

Do you think creative freedom today needs extra care compared to the past?<\/span><\/p>\n

Indraganti:<\/span>
\nThere\u2019s nothing too risky in this movie. Still, I was careful. My intention is not to spark unnecessary controversy. Belief is personal\u2014but don\u2019t hold beliefs that wreck others\u2019 lives. That\u2019s the core idea, which we\u2019ve expressed comedically. And even then, if someone takes offense, we can\u2019t help it.<\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019m not saying all astrology is superstition or that all believers are fools. Some predictions made to me did come true. That\u2019s why in this film, astrologers are not portrayed as comedians but are shown seriously.<\/span><\/p>\n

Does the hero practice astrology or believe in it?<\/span><\/p>\n

Indraganti:<\/span>
\nThe hero believes in astrology. Astrology is a strange cult science\u2014open a panchangam (astrological almanac), and you\u2019ll find countless details. You can\u2019t just dismiss it as bogus. My intention is not to mock or preach. Believe if you want, or don\u2019t. But know that blindly following it can bring misfortune\u2014that\u2019s the message.<\/span><\/p>\n

The teaser suggests an astrology theme, but the trailer hints at suspense. What do you say?<\/span><\/p>\n

Indraganti:<\/span>
\nThis film can be called a \u201ccrime comedy\u201d\u2014a family-friendly crime comedy. There\u2019s no violence, but there is a criminal element. The comedy arises from how an ordinary middle-class man working at a car shop deals with this situation. You could call it an \u201castrological crime comedy\u201d (laughs).<\/span><\/p>\n

You started your directorial journey with Grahanam in 2004. What differences do you see in these 20 years?<\/span><\/p>\n

Indraganti:<\/span>
\nThe biggest change is the attention span. Now, there\u2019s a screen between the screen and the viewer\u2014phones. During a hero\u2019s intro scene, 50 phones go up in the air. Earlier, when the lights went off, we were immersed in the film. Now, there\u2019s a parallel world. The biggest challenge for filmmakers is keeping the phone in the audience\u2019s pocket.<\/span><\/p>\n

That doesn\u2019t mean fast-cutting will help. It\u2019s about engaging content. Films like Premam and Prema Desam weren\u2019t fast-paced, but they did well because of emotional connection. People used to watch films for entertainment. Now they want emotional experiences. Otherwise, they\u2019ll just watch Malayalam films at home on OTT.<\/span><\/p>\n

At the beginning of your career, everyone hailed you as a promising director. But now, why does it feel like you\u2019re struggling?<\/span><\/p>\n

Indraganti:<\/span>
\nAdjusting to changing sensibilities takes effort. When generations and mindsets change, it takes time to adapt. After COVID, I went through a lot of confusion. V released directly on OTT. Regardless of whether it was a hit or not, the producer made money. But Aa Ammayi Gurinchi Meeku Cheppali became a mess and got delayed.<\/span><\/p>\n

That\u2019s when I reflected\u2014my strength is the audience. The genre I enjoy and can entertain people with is comedy. There has been humor in my past films too. But this time, I wanted to make a comedy that appeals to both older and younger generations. Not every time will be a win\u2014non-stop success is a myth. Still, we must keep trying.<\/span><\/p>\n

This is your third film with Sridevi Movies and Sivalenka Krishna Prasad. What kind of support did you receive?<\/span><\/p>\n

We\u2019ve delivered two successful films in this combination before. We understand each other well as director and producer. For this film, he gave me full support. I have no dissatisfaction after making this movie\u2014I made it exactly how I envisioned. That\u2019s due to his passion for cinema.<\/span><\/p>\n

Why should people watch Sarangapani Jatakam?<\/span><\/p>\n

Recently, films are full of violence and action. There hasn\u2019t been a wholesome comedy film in a while. Sarangapani Jatakam is a happy, delightful film that all age groups and families can enjoy together. Along with fun, it offers a great theatrical experience.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cInstead of being the kind of film you wipe off and forget right after watching, Sarangapani Jatakam is one you\u2019ll talk about for four to five days.\u201d \u2013 Director Indraganti Mohana Krishna Versatile star Priyadarshi plays the title role in the film Sarangapani Jatakam. After Gentleman and Sammohanam, this marks another collaboration between director Indraganti […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":554709,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,17],"tags":[50257,68120,68121,1620,67131,7444,3602],"yst_prominent_words":[9431,13030,8910,26616,13014,26609,13012,13005,13004,13013,13006,13008,9429],"class_list":["post-554708","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-interviews","category-slideshow","tag-directors-interviews","tag-indraganti-mohana-krishna","tag-indraganti-mohana-krishna-interview-about-sarangapani-jathakam","tag-priyadarshi","tag-sarangapani-jathakam","tag-telugu-cinema","tag-tollywood"],"read":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/industryhit.com\/t\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/554708","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/industryhit.com\/t\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/industryhit.com\/t\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/industryhit.com\/t\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/industryhit.com\/t\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=554708"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/industryhit.com\/t\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/554708\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":554710,"href":"https:\/\/industryhit.com\/t\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/554708\/revisions\/554710"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/industryhit.com\/t\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/554709"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/industryhit.com\/t\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=554708"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/industryhit.com\/t\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=554708"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/industryhit.com\/t\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=554708"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/industryhit.com\/t\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=554708"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}