If you spot Sreedhar Seepana in a gathering, you can be assured of some cheer and laughter all around. Known for a humourous style of writing, he rose to fame with Poolarangadu and he is now inching close to directing a film. Some of the films in which he worked as a writer are Rey, Nippu, Bheemavaram Bullodu, Potugadu, Loukyam and he currently has his hands full with seven films…a movie with Gopichand, Dictator, Vishnu film to be directed by Hanuman Chowdary, Mohan Babu-Allari Naresh, Sushant, Allari Naresh’s 50th film, Allari Naresh-Chalasani Chowdary movie. In a chat with telugu360.com he says he didn’t expect so much grace and munificence from God and wishes to go ahead with his work in all humility, responsibility.
1)You are known for your rhyming words, do you wish to continue with it?
I am happy being a writer though my ultimate goal is direction..I believe and hope that as your range as a writer keeps growing, your chances of getting a top hero to direct also improves. Anand Prasad of Bhavya Arts announced I would be directing Gopichand soon. There is no confusion doing so many stories but there is some amount of stress definitely. I like to write without assistance, if someone else joins it doesn’t synch. I am against assistants rounding up your work and sending it to the directors. I am planning to change my style of writing soon, i.e rhyming in the dialogues. As of now there is no objection as such but people sometimes point out akkada rhyming ekkuva avuthundi. In my opinion it sounds good on screen. None of my films where I used rhyming words failed..when I write without rhyming words, the dialogue sounds bland. As a dialogue writer I want my dialogues to be highlighted and I will write what I like, all the directors have so far respected my choice.
2)Your dialogues are ridden with sarcasm, how do you compartmentalise it for a comedy hero and an action hero?
There is definitely sarcasm involved in my writing for a comedy hero and I go with the situation but for an action hero, I use ’emotional rhyming’ for instance nenu swing lo vocchinappudu ring lo yevadaina vosthe bodyeelu ilane bounce ayithayi in Loukyam. There is a rhyme accompanied with strength..I keep increasing the strength of the words when it comes to a star hero, for example…nenu maximum mind vaduthanu avasaramaithene hand vaduthanu. People do ask me how I bring variety in my work when I don’t socialise? After 7 and 8 in the evening I spend most of my time in fact all my time with my personal friends, not related to the industry. I still live in Krishna Nagar which is a place for all common and ordinary people. I stay in my small house and my conversation 24 hours revolves around cinema.
3)Your sarcasm extends to relationships?
Luckily for me when I make a wise crack people don’t receive it negatively, such people are my friends. Even top heroes and producers laugh it off when I tend to make a funny remark, they don’t take it to heart. In Balaiyya Babu’s film you will find him to be a serious man but there will be entertainment weaved around his character. Very rarely you get such script, we balanced it perfectly, the dialogues in dictator move on a narrow edge and it is a sure shot festival for fans, they will come with families for a repeat viewing. It is a completely hilarious story but Balakrishna will maintain a serious look.
4)Have you experienced a writer’s block?
Frequently. My mind suddenly goes blank and sometimes I think why am I writing. I am not able to write once in ten days and then I pull out books of Mullapudi etc and whatever book I can lay my hands on and de-stress. I don’t know what I read in that tension. Earlier I would be hurt reading reviews of my films but now I have got used to it. For Rey we worked very hard..but reviews were negative. We had roped in an energetic hero from a star family and everything seemed to go well. Afterwards…I guess we will have to face ups and downs. I am inspired by Trivikram Sreenivas and I like Sreenu Vytla’s style. When I see my colleague’s films and I like something about it I immediately call and discuss it. We all share a healthy relationship and we compliment each other, I don’t have the proximity to call Trivikram but Sreenu Vytla yes, because I worked with him.
5)Isn’t there vulgarity in dialogues now?
For Potugadu anukokunda rayalsochhindi but Loukyam has clean comedy. Vulgarity in the dialogues is something we’ve been noticing to a great extent in the past five years. We have reached a stage where some films run only if such crass writing is present and strangely audience is respecting that kind of work. I would work 24 hrs with my seniors as an assistant and learn but these days I don’t find writers spending that sort of time and hard work. We need more writers. I worked as an assistant and some films did not have my name as the titles rolled, I didn’t take it to heart. The people working as writers, most of them are hugely ambitious in a negative way and want recognition immediately. Ee roju rachana sahakaram vesthe repu nenu director ayipoythanu aney feeling vosthundi valaki. You will earn a standard and a long standing career if you focus on your work and wait for your time. When the time arrives people will definitely recognise your work and rest will follow.
6)Your take on spoofs and do you work towards a bound script?
You will find variety tracks for all comedians in my movies..you will not find it till you hunt for it. Spoof writing doesn’t reflect your talent and spoof comedy is nothing great. In my upcoming films you will see healthy comedy, this is my year. Anyone can write spoofs and imitation is great..once in a while it is fine but you can’t run an entire film on spoof. I would never give a bound script till Loukyam..ekkuva saarlu script meeda madana padevaadini. now we all are going on bound scripts because of the budget involved and everyone are principled. From the first to the last scene I have all of it noted down, there will be small corrections based on director’s instructions but dialogues usually will never be changed. To remind myself that from Sreekakulam I use my dialect through a comedian not out of sarcasm but just to raise the comedy quotient.
(Sunita Yalavarthi)
