Minugurulu - Visual treat from visually impaired

Looks like ‘Minugurulu’ has already tasted success prior to its release. The movie is the first Telugu film to compete in the ‘competition live action’ at the 18th International Children’s Film Festival which started on Thursday in Hyderabad.

The movie is among the top 17 films which got selected out of 150 films. Produced and directed by Ayodhya Kumar Krishnamsetty, the movie has already participated in seven international festivals and has received accolades from industry bigwigs such as Chiranjeevi, SV Krishna Reddy and Sekhar Kammula. “Forty visually impaired children performed in the film, a first in the history of Indian cinema”, says Ayodhya Kumar .

The cast includes Suhasini Mani Ratnam, Ashish Vidyarthi and Raghuveer Yadav (of ‘Lagaan’ ‘Peepli Live’ fame) making his Telugu debut. When people make movies on social issues, they often end up becoming highly emotional and preachy. What about ‘Minugurulu’? “Though it’s the story of visually impaired children, we did not make the movie to evoke sympathy.

The movie is the result of our three-year research and the movie is strongly based on the plot, not sympathy”, he explains. The director who did his Masters in filmmaking from Portland State University is quite confident that the movie will create a strong buzz just as its doing in the film festivals. On what made him attempt a film like this, he says, “I wanted to make a film on education system. As a part of the research, I went extensively to all kinds of schools across the state and when I went to the school of the visually challenged, I was moved by them. I was amazed how they managed to do all their work inspite of their disability”.

The movie is about a boy called Raju who is blind and wants to become a filmmaker and how he overcomes obstacles in his orphanage. Ayodhya Kumar also met Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy five times and he assured him that the movie will have tax exemption and subsidy from the government. “Though I was assured, it’s still in the process”, he laments. He says he would not like to restrict himself to making movies of any single genre. “My movies will definitely be about the society and will be meaningful”.

Actor Srinivas of ‘Golconda High School’ fame who is doing the lead role in the film said,” We didn’t teach acting to the visually impaired, we only captured the way they did things naturally”. Rushini, who is making her debut with this film, expressed happiness to be part of the film . The movie will hit the screens on November 29 and will be screened in the film festival on November 19.

Ayodhya Kumar Krishnamsetty’s movie will be the first Telugu film to compete in the ‘competition live action’ at the film fest