Director KV Anudeep interview: Humour is my constant source of dopamine

In an interview, director KV Anudeep discusses his humor-driven art, ADHD, upcoming projects, and his journey in cinema.

KV Anudeep is just three films old as a director but the mention of his name or his cameos in films and television shows is often met with cheers. His poker-faced one-liners and the absurd humour in his films have a vibrant afterlife on social media. The man in question, however, does not have a social media presence. He intends to go off WhatsApp too after the release of his new Telugu film, Funky.

When he sits down for a conversation at Sithara Entertainments office in Hyderabad, he is game to talk of a great deal more than his film starring Vishwak Sen and Kayadu Lohar, which releases on February 13. He holds forth on his decision to remain single, negotiating ADHD, writing a book on mental health, cinema and literary influences that shaped his work, and moving away from comedy in his next film, which will have a female protagonist.

Vishwak Sen and Kayadu Lohar in the film | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

“Funky has been dispatched. I fine tune a film as long as it is in my hands. Once done, I move on. The script for my next one is ready. It is a female-led story with a mix of emotional drama, horror, and comedy. There are quite a few stories I want to narrate in different genres,” says Anudeep.

Asked if his debut feature film Jathi Ratnaluand now Funky are in the zone of outrageous comedies so as to establish himself among the audience, after which he can experiment, he says, “No such gameplan. I narrate whichever story excites me at that point. After Jathi Ratnalu became a blockbuster, I attempted a romance (Tamil-Telugu bilingual Prince) with an underlying message but it did not work. Maybe I could have worked more on the script. Funky took a while and it just happened to be a comedy again.”

In Funky, Vishwak Sen plays a director and the promos hint at one-liners reflecting the ways of the Telugu film industry. Anudeep says some jokes are inspired by the industry and hastens to add that even those who are not attuned to the film industry happenings will be entertained.