Tollywood is getting enriched with another directorial debut. Erstwhile software professional Arjun Kola is taking the plunge with Tatvam, releasing this Friday. Vamsi Seemakurthi and Swetha Pashupulate are producing the film under Trayathi Ishani Creations and SK Productions. Director Arjun Kola talks about his experience of making the film and his passion for cinema. “Initially, I wanted to write a story based on a village panchayat, but later incorporated elements of murder, mystery, and courtroom drama into the story. Tatvam is a rural film with all the commercial elements,” begins Arjun Kola.
Interestingly, Arjun never worked as an assistant director and had no connection with the film industry. Hailing from Eluru, Andhra Pradesh, Arjun says he learnt filmmaking through online resources and books. “My parents wanted me to complete my education first. Later, because of my financial situation, I joined a job. I stay in Bengaluru, and I took leave to complete this film,” Arjun traces his love for filmmaking. Though he landed a job to improve his financial condition, he never got comfortable. He says he decided to address his film bug when he gained stability. “I read the Paruchuri Brothers’ book on filmmaking and also learnt through online resources. Once I settled down financially, I decided to make a film, and that’s how this project came about.”
Talking about the film, Arjun says there is a specific reason behind choosing the title Tatvam. “A murder mystery is an amalgamation of truth and lies. The story moves forward from the point of a person’s confusion about what to believe and what not to,” he says, expanding on how the film moves towards pursuing the ultimate truth and also explores the human psyche. “Along with the murder mystery, I have also explored the psychology of the characters in the film. The title is also connected to the way the protagonist’s character transforms towards the end.”
After completing the film, Arjun recalls the setbacks the film faced following the lead actors meeting with an accident. “When we started the promotions, Dinesh and Dashvika met with a car accident. It took some time to recover, forcing a delay,” he shares, as he adds that he is hopeful that Tatvam will work though several other films that are releasing with it. “We have faith in our content, so we decided to release our film along with them,” he says.
Before taking up the feature film, Arjun made a short film to gain some experience and confidence. “I made a pilot film titled Kaivalya. That gave me the confidence to take up a feature film. I believe that if you keep delaying your passion, you may eventually lose the enthusiasm to pursue it,” he says, adding that he has gained good support from his technical team, and that has helped in making his debut easy. “Whenever I made a mistake with lighting or other technical aspects, the team gave me their feedback, and I corrected it. Their support helped us achieve a good output.” He shares that the producers are happy with the final output.
Arjun feels Chaitan Bharadwaj’s music is definitely a big asset to the film and that the soundscape has enhanced the tonality. “The background score is very important for a murder mystery like this. The mystery becomes much more thrilling because of the sound design and background score,” he says.
Tatvam feels like an accomplishment for Arjun and is okay with handling the uncertainty of the industry. “I haven’t signed a second film yet. I wanted to make a film, and I did it with Tatvam,” he says, as he also opens up about his web series idea. “I have another idea titled Dwarapudi Days, set against the backdrop of the Godavari region and inspired by the nostalgic feel of Malgudi Days. It will be a completely emotional story and is suitable for a web series.” Before concluding, he also elaborates on other story ideas he has but awaits Tatvam’s release and takes it one step at a time. “I wanted to tell a story that brings together three generations — people from the 80s, 90s and Gen Z. But I have to wait and see how this film releases and then decide what to do next,” he signs off.
