“Growing up, I had only one ambition – to be a hero in the Telugu film industry. I wanted people to whistle when they saw me on the screen. Throughout my childhood, I spent a lot of time writing stories and songs, which I also performed at various events in school and college. But the pressure of studying in an intermediate hostel kills also your creativity and energy. You feel like you’re in a pressure cooker, trying hard to be better than everybody in the class. I knew I didn’t want to do a run-of-the-mill job. But my parents insisted I take up engineering and I had to give in.

My escape from engineering life was films. My friends and I used to make many short films. Every time I saw positive feedback, it boosted me to do better. However, when I graduated, my family was going through a tough time financially. Although I was in my early 20s, I had to take up the responsibility of running a household. I joined a regular corporate company. But I still get emotional when I think of the days… My friends and I would rush to an Irani cafe on sunny afternoons with make-do cameras to shoot a 15-minute short film. Nothing mattered except our love and honesty towards the art form. I decided not to give up on my passion. On weekends or after work on weekdays, I meet my friends and shoot whatever possible. Every time I feel low, I sit down and write a script. I spend my salary on managing my house and shooting films. It gets very difficult but I don’t want to let the creativity in me die. I won’t let it die!”

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