Manasa Dinakar nervous about Life Jothe Ondu Selfie

She has written the script for the film directed by her husband Dinakar Thoogudeepa; it is slated for release on Varamahalakshmi
Manasa Dinakar nervous about Life Jothe Ondu Selfie

Manasa Dinakar's love for reading goes back to her younger days when she found herself happiest between the pages of books by authors such as Paulo Coelho, Jane Austen, Poornachandra Tejaswi, Saisuthe and MK Indra. Today, her voracious reading habit has come in handy as she turns scriptwriter for Life Jothe Ondu Selfie. "Reading has helped me write better," she says.

The film, directed by Dinakar Thoogudeepa, features Prem, Prajwal Devaraj and Hariprriya. With the film currently awaiting approval from the censor board, Manasa says that the final choice of the subject was her husband's. "Out of three choices, he felt that this one had a fresh perspective," she says about the film whose script took a year to complete.

Manasa is not new to the film circle, with her husband Dinakar being an established director, her father-in-law, Thoogudeepa Srinivas, remembered as a fine actor of yesteryear, and brother-in-law Darshan being a top star in the industry. Post marriage, she started writing on and off, which she says came to her naturally. "I grew up with an extended family in my village. All of us lived in the same vicinity. I used to observe the bonding we shared, and the relationships from close quarters. I've brought in all these nuances in Life Jothe Ondu Selfie," she says.

In addition to the writing the script, Manasa has also been involved in the film's making. From Day 1, she was on the sets right until the last action-cut. Manasa also dabbled with dialogues and costume designs for the film. It's at that point she realised how 'possessive' she was about the film. "I never knew I could get so possessive. But at the same time, I also realised that not all that is written works on screen. The story needs some cinematic liberties for entertainment purposes. Dinakar and I have argued so much on this," she says. 

At this point, Manasa says she is more tense than her husband about the film's release and reception.

So, what can the audience expect from Life Jothe Ondu Selfie? "In life we tend to complicate the simplest of issues making it hard to take decisions. The ensuing turmoil and confusion is what the film will look at," she says.

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