Tharun Bhascker Dhaassyam: There is no space for elitism in cinema

Writer-director-actor Tharun Bhascker Dhaassyam discusses his roller coaster journey and his new Telugu film ‘Keedaa Cola’ 

The rom-com Pelli Choopulu came in as a breath of fresh air for Telugu cinema in 2016 and became a rage, hailed for its relatable urban family drama, relationships and comedy, capped with feel-good music. With it, debut director Tharun Bhascker Dhaassyam became a sensation, transitioning from short films to blockbuster feature films. But did you know that prior to its release, Pelli Choopulu was written off by insiders in the Telugu film industry? In this conversation at ITC Kohenur Hyderabad, the director opens up on his journey and shares his insights into the cinema business.  

Edited excerpts from the interview:

Soon after Pelli Choopulu(2016), you were considered the poster boy of new age Telugu cinema. Your success story gave hope to aspiring directors. What were the dreams with which you entered the industry?

I had no big dreams, no goals. That was scary. I just wanted Pelli Choopulu to be released. My father had passed away and a lot of black-and-white drama was happening at home. There was financial instability. It was a roller coaster of emotions. I had hit rock bottom and received so much rejection from the industry. I believed their word that Pelli Choopulu would be a disaster. So when it became a huge success, I did not know how to take it. With success came new responsibility. I was not prepared to be the flag bearer of a new age Telugu cinema. 

We, in the media, got to know about the film before its release thanks to the good word-of-mouth publicity from a few private screenings.

The credit goes to producer Suresh Babu Daggubati (who presented the film). Even then, a lot of people kept mocking me and said who would watch the film in theatres if we hosted these free screenings. But Suresh garu was insistent. At that time, I too doubted if it was the right thing to do. I thought no one is going to like the film anyway, so let him do whatever he wants to. I thought the film was dead and we were just garlanding it with those screenings.

Just before the release of your second film Ee Nagaraniki Emaindi (ENE), you stated that the tag of ‘ Pelli Choopulu director’ weighed heavily on you…