Very few writer-directors in Telugu cinema give their leading women a strong voice. Among them, Mohana Krishna Indraganti stands tall in consistently ensuring that the women are much more than glamorous additions. The women in his films don’t necessarily droop under the weight of heavy roles. They are urban women of today, playing roles of their age — blending in chirpiness, naivete, maturity and are stoic where required. They have their own insecurities, which make them endearing and relatable. The narrative may or may not rest entirely on their shoulders but they are a pivotal force, steering the plot forward. The women in supporting roles too are written with flair, and get enough room to prove their worth.
In his latest film Sammohanam, which is among the best films of the year so far, the women are a treat to watch, essaying well-written characters in a nuanced narrative.
Starry yet rooted
Aditi Rao Hydari as Sameera Rathore could be any young, up and coming Mumbai import female actor we see in Telugu films these days. With dreams in her eyes and feet firm on the ground, she tries her best to stay normal and rooted than get swayed by the dizzy world of glamour. In the opening portions, we see her struggling with her Telugu lines. We learn that she’s already had two hits to her credit and is a sort of new sensation. She’s eager to get her language and diction right and reaches out to Vijay (Sudheer Babu) for help. A polar opposite to her, Vijay doesn’t think highly of the film world and is happy being a children’s book illustrator.
Indraganti makes Sameera a squeaky clean character to establish the fact that not every woman in cinema is game for the casting couch. There’s a level-headed discussion about the ways of the industry between Sameera and Vijay and she emphasises that the film industry is as clean or as dirty as any other professional field.
Using the film-within-a-film framework, the director presents a satire that not only laughs at the film industry but also of websites that thrive on sensational content from the industry (Rahul Ramakrishna’s is a laugh-aloud part that hits the right notes) and of aspiring actors and the desperate things they can do (Naresh in one of his best characters so far).
‘Just a girl’
Sameera is a diva and at the same time vulnerable, and Indraganti gets the judicious mix in his writing of the character. One of the best scenes of the film unfolds on the terrace on a moonlit night between Sameera and Vijay, and somewhere at the back of our mind we are reminded of the the exchange between Julia Roberts and Hugh grant about she being “just a girl, standing in front of a boy…” in Notting Hill. The terrace conversation here becomes all the more beautiful with Vijay sharing a nostalgic anecdote of romance, handed down through generations.
Sammohanam’s leading man, like in several other Indraganti films, isn’t typically macho. He might have a problem with the world of cinema and his own prejudice, but Vijay remains empathetic and sensitive and eventually knows how to take rejection on his chin.
Urban cool
Pavithra Lokesh as the mother is another role worthy of discussion. She isn’t the typical on-screen mother nagging her son to change his ways or swing to the other extreme of being extra cool. She can give her son a cup of coffee and say “you need it” when he’s vexed with all the din around him. She can also nudge him gently when he’s at his low point. Harishini as the sister and Hari Teja as the heroine’s assistant are other small yet stand-out parts.
On a broader perspective, looking back, well-defined characters are a norm than exception in Indraganti’s films. And each one of them is different from the other. They aren’t tailor-made like stepping out of an assembly line; you can’t put your finger on certain traits and say these are the typical women and men that inhabit this writer-director’s films. Nivetha Thomas of Gentleman is markedly different from Eesha Rebba of Anthaka Mundu Aa Tharuvatha (AMAT), both powerful in their own ways. Even in some of Indraganti’s lesser celebrated films like Bandipotu, the woman is a driving force.
From Ashta Chamma and Golconda High School to Sammohanam, it’s been a steady growth towards presenting some memorable characters and moments that reflect the society we live in.
We only wish there would be more writer-directors like Mohanakrishna Indraganti and Sekhar Kammula who can consistently present women characters you can’t be ignored. May this tribe grow.