Senior actors Rajendra Prasad and Archana acted in a film titled Ladies Tailor, which was released in 1986. After 39 years, the duo is back together again for the film Shashtipurthi, marking the directorial debut of Pawan Prabha. The director talks about the film, the actors, and why he wanted Ilaiyaraaja as the music director
Suresh Kavirayani
sureshkavirayani@gmail.com
Pawan Prabha is all set to make his debut as a director with the film Shashtipurthi, which stars senior actors Rajendra Prasad and Archana. Rupesh plays the lead role and Akanksha Singh is the female lead. The film is set to release on May 30. Maestro Ilaiyaraaja is the music director, while another renowned music director, M.M. Keeravani, has turned lyricist for this film. Director Pawan Prabha shared his insights about the film.
“I studied hotel management, and everyone in my family is traditionally into music. From a young age, I developed a strong interest in films. I worked in the direction department for the film Fitting Master and I even appeared in a small scene in that film too,” said Pawan Prabha about his background.
That film was released nearly 16 years ago, and now, Pawan Prabha is back. “There was a long gap in my film journey, and I understood what cinema truly is in these years. When it came to Shashtipurthi, I explored many places. When I wrote the story, I was fixated on having Ilaiyaraaja sir onboard. Many told me that it is not easy to approach him, but I somehow managed to bring him in,” said Pawan Prabha. He added that family dramas require a large cast, and coordinating their schedules can be difficult. “Shooting itself takes a while. But I was determined to make this film, so that’s the reason it took so many years,” said the director.
Talking about Shashtipurthi, he said many children nowadays leave their parents in old age homes. “I come from a large joint family and I know what it means to be surrounded by love — from my grandfather, grandmother, aunts, and uncles. But nowadays, some people even see their parents as a burden and abandon them on the streets. I made Shashtipurthi to showcase the greatness of parents and the value of their love,” said the director. He added that the film, releasing on May 30, will have many surprising elements that go beyond what has been shown in the promos so far.
Pawan said that he had clarity on the film from the beginning. “I have shown Rajendra Prasad and Archana garu’s characters from a younger look to an older one. I portrayed Archana garu as a strict mother and Rajendra Prasad garu as a jovial father,” he said, speaking about the senior actors. The director also shared that he was very happy to receive a lot of appreciation for the trailer of his film.
He explained that when writing a family drama like this, it needs a lot of sentiment and emotional drama — which is why music plays a crucial role. “That’s why I wanted Ilaiyaraaja sir for this project. I shot the entire film in the Godavari region. I first narrated the story to producer Rupesh garu, who liked it and completely took it upon himself. It was because of him that I got to meet Ilaiyaraaja sir,” said Pawan Prabha.
He added that Ilaiyaraaja gave multiple options for one song. “I don’t know what people say outside about him, but he is very down-to-earth and treated us very warmly. For every song, he used to ask whether we liked it or not. We even filmed some making videos while he was composing,” said the director. “He asked me to narrate the story without mentioning a single song situation — and then he would decide where to insert the songs. When I went for the first composition, he played the pallavi (refrain) on the harmonium immediately after I described the situation,” said Pawan Prabha.
The director said Ilaiyaraaja gave multiple options for every song and composed all of them within moments. Chaitanya Prasad, Rehman, and Keeravani wrote beautiful lyrics for the film. “We initially wanted Chaitanya Prasad to write three songs, but when we found out that MM Keeravani had written a song, we thought it was good for us. So we approached Keeravani garu — and he immediately agreed. That was a big stroke of luck for me,” said Pawan Prabha.
Talking about the story, the director said it is a fictional tale. “The character played by Rajendra Prasad is not someone you’d find in the outside world. To believe in such a story and invest in it is no ordinary thing. When we narrate a story, if the producer feels what we feel, only then can the film move forward. Producing films like this is much harder than directing them,” said the director.
Pawan Prabha said he already has a few projects lined up after this film, and a few stories have been finalized. “I’ll announce all the details soon. But with this film, I’ve learned a lot — which will definitely help me in the future,” he said.
