Kshanam Director Ravikanth’s interview

With a mere budget and no stars to cast, a 24 year old guy directed a film with just a sheer belief in his script. The film is Kshanam which is going to be released on this 26th and the director is Ravikanth Perepu. He sat with a few journalists to share his experiences.  

Tell us about yourself!
I was born and brought up in Vishakhapatnam. With me, my interest for cinema has been growing since my childhood. I’ve decided that I have to be a director after watching Mani Ratnam sir’s Sakhi and he’s my inspiration. However, my parents insisted me on completing my graduation. I’ve done my B.Tech in Vishakhapatnam. Later, I’ve landed in Hyderabad hoping to direct a film.  

How do you come to know Sesh?
Adavi Sesh and Kiran Adivi were my Facebook friends. When I’ve told Sesh that I wanted to direct a film, he asked me to come to Hyderabad once I finish my graduation. I’ve known him since he made Karma. I’ve come to Hyderabad believing him and I wanted to work as an Assistant Director for his film. But the film was shot totally outside India. I’ve had a visa issue so I couldn’t be part of the shoot. Later I’ve stepped into the team during the Post Production phase.  

What is Kshanam all about?  
We’ve developed this story based on an incident happened to Sesh. This is a suspense drama which revolves around a kidnap. The story is about the consequences the protagonist faces while he’s in the pursuit of a kidnapped girl. Though Sesh is a director himself, he never interfered with my work once the script was locked.   

How did you manage to direct your first film?
I had no clue about direction apart from the film theory. It was really hard on me for the first four days. I used to rely on Google whenever I had a doubt. Later, I was able to adapt to the film environment and moved ahead with confidence.  

How about your producers?
I’ve narrated the story to PVP sir and he immediately Okayed it and allotted us an office space in 3 days. I should say that my producers have given me such a freedom which no debutant can expect to have. They wanted the film to be better than the script. After watching the output they were happy with it. We’ve shot the entire film over a period of 70 days with a stringent budget in our hands.

What’s the reason behind choosing a Thriller?
Everyone thinks that it’s better for a debutant to make his first feature a love story. However, audiences have watched myriad love stories till date. As this is my first feature, I’ve chosen the thriller genre hoping that if it becomes a success all the credit comes to me. If it strikes the right chords with the audience, it would be a breakthrough in my career.  

How do you justify the title, Kshanam?
In just a mere second, a whole life could turn upside down. We can never predict what’s in for us the very next second. This made us title the film so. The screenplay justifies its title.  

How did people react to the title?
For the trailer, we’ve received a response which is far beyond our expectations, especially from N.R.Is. People from the industry like Nithin, Nikhil, Rana and Mahesh have liked the trailer.  

Which director inspires you?
As I’ve told, I was hugely inspired by Mani Ratnam sir. Apart from him I love Trivikram sir’s movies, Poori Jagannath’s portrayal of protagonists, Rajamouli sir’s grandeur. Every sensible film inspires me to some extent.