Praveen Kandregula: Subham is fun, but I hope people don’t relate to it

Praveen Kandregula: It was Vasanth’s idea completely. When he first told me an idea about TV serials obsession, a draft was ready. After a thorough discussion with Samantha and Raj Nidimoru (co-creator of The Family Man, Farzi), I was on board and fully excited about the project. We developed it for six months before going to shoot.

Vasanth Maringanti: Growing up, I would observe my aunts, who used to take TV serials very seriously. While discussing characters’ deaths, they would talk about it like someone in the family died. I knew then that I had to write something around this.

A few years later, I saw an old relative of mine with difficulty walking going to the hall at 10:30 in the morning just to watch TV shows and sitting there till 10 at night. That was her motivation to live. We take TV shows lightly, but they’re providing motivation to an entire age group. That’s how I got inspired to write Subham.

Praveen: Mostly, we were sure about not making it preachy. The main subject was about man-woman relationships, and we knew it should only be fun and comic. At one point, we became too preachy and consciously had to return to our roots.

Vasanth: In all, there were 28 drafts of the screenplay.

Praveen: When it’s a simple story like Subham, you have to write in many elements without deviating from the core. And the ghost in our film is an indoor ghost, to top it all (laughs).

Vasanth: We had a ghost that visits for half an hour and stays within a room — what all can we create within this framework was the challenge. Praveen would think of all options to keep a variation in the three tracks. We used to talk to the actors about how each scene could be done differently. That’s how the script became better.

Praveen: The repetitive factor was a big fear for us. We were sure that the conflicts should grow as new characters come in and the story progresses. The second half's writing process is the most difficult for any team.

Praveen: Samantha was very specific on a few things. Like the dosa scene with Srivalli and her mother-in-law, Samantha was sure that Srivalli’s character shouldn’t come across as demeaning there. So the idea was to make her very loveable. We had to be careful about things like these.

Vasanth: I was on a different shoot when Subham went on floors. When I arrived, I noticed so much positive energy, which in turn made me feel positive.

Praveen: Every actor was very involved in the process, and we had many workshops. All our lead actors had writing knowledge, so their additions brought a lot of fun and spontaneity to the shoot. For example, the element of Gayatri asking for the remote through a mere gesture came from Shravani herself. If the vibe on set is healthy, you can treat it like a playground.

Vasanth: ‘Macho’ is the word we first had in mind. Then, we thought about its relevance in today’s times. Luckily, the word ‘alpha’ is popular these days (laughs). A lot of men are confused; they are trying to be that (alpha figure) because of social conditioning. That’s why we created that scene where Srinu's character cries and lambasts his friend for his sermons on 'Alpha' theory.

Praveen: In small towns, there are still men who suppress women a lot. It has become a habit for women, who don’t know what they can demand from men, from life. Even though Subham is a fun film, I hope people don’t relate to this film.

Praveen: Not a specific message necessarily, but there should be a soul to your story; it can’t just be a horror comedy. That’s when you will take away something from any movie; otherwise, a film can’t survive for long. Even for Cinema Bandi — it was a light-hearted movie, but you end on an emotional note.

Vasanth: I remember Suman Kumar (co-writer of The Family Man) told us a golden rule when we were writing Cinema Bandi. He said, “If a film has to be remembered in the long run, there has to be a soul to it, an underlying message without being preachy — that differentiates a normal film from a good one.” Even for Subham, I first sent a half-pager idea to Raj (Nidimoru) about the thematic value of the film. Praveen, too, thinks along these lines, whether we are saying something. That’s the root of our film.

Vasanth: I am not active on social media. I don’t know what happens here; I don’t want to stay relevant. I want to bring only what comes out of the story. If we keep worrying about these things, there won’t be any fresh content.

Praveen: Films are different, and social media is different. Also, it’s not that all pacey movies are hits — if you make a film too pacey, audiences will find them clumsy. We can’t write that way; we need to write what the story demands.

Praveen: The story itself is commercial. I always knew Subham could go to the masses, bringing in even those who haven’t visited theatres in ages. Current movies are very heavy on action; there are many who can’t digest those movies at theatres. Subham has elements that can connect to them.

Praveen: The good changes began with Sekhar Kammula’s Anand (2004). Today, you might think it’s too slow, but back then it was the biggest hit. It had a life of its own. You can watch films like Anand and Godavari any number of times. And yet, if Anand releases today, I wonder if the audience will enjoy that slow pace.

Vasanth: I would like to see that too — if such a film were to become a hit today or be slotted as an OTT watch. When something good in a genre comes once, like violent films at present, it will lead to more of the same. Then something small and different comes and creates a trend. I am waiting for one sweet film to be a hit and change the trend.

Vasanth: I have a film coming up with Suhas and Keerthy Suresh, titled Uppu Kappurambu. It's ready; the makers are yet to announce release details.

Praveen: In Paradha, which stars Anupama Parameswaran in the lead, I have touched upon a very serious project. I am a huge Mani Ratnam fan, so this film is my dedication to him. I've always wanted to make a film like this.