Idlebrain.com met Kodi Rama Krishna on 25th December 2001 (Christmas) at Rama Naidu Studios. Kodi was supervising a dance bit for 'Tella Tellani Cheera' song of the film 'Devi Putrudu'. We do recommend you to listen to interview than read the transcript to understand the heart content of Kodi Rama Krishna, who directed more than 100 Telugu films!

Who do you worked with before becoming a director?
I worked only with Dasari Narayana Rao. We belong to the same town Palakollu. And the producer (of Pratap Arts) who gave Dasari a chance to direct has given me an opportunity to direct my first film 'Intlo Ramayya Veedhilo Krishnayya'.Click here to listen

Your first hero is Chiranjeevi. Did you have any inkling at that time that he would be the future megastar?
We can't predict the future of anybody. But we can calculate the capacity of an actor by looking at his work. Effort and hard work does always give results and recognition. In any scenario, an actor needs to have fear generated from the popularity and responsibility more than the confidence. Chiranjeevi has ample careful attitude towards his profession as he became more and more successful. My first film 'Intlo Ramayya Veedhilo Krishnayya' would have ran for 5 weeks if there were a comedy hero in that film. As an emotional and manly hero like Chiranjeevi donned the lead role, this film ran for 525 days. At that time I felt that Chiranjeevi would become Number One as, he has an amazing ability of putting efforts, being a good man and generating right kind of expressions. It's an asset for him to give expressions while dancing. When Chiranjeevi is dancing, it appears like he is doing it at the ease at which we do routine scenes. He has got equally good quality in his acting style as well as life style.Click here to listen

How come S Gopal Reddy (Bhargav Arts), Shyam Reddy (MS Arts) and MS Raju (Sumanth Arts) make films only with you. How did you develop the rapport?
I treat my producers as my friends. I do analyze their psychology and accordingly behave in the sets. Some times, producer may appear like a troublemaker, but I need to make him feel friendly and relieve him of his tension by telling him the gripping scenes of the film. The first thing I do after coming to sets is to observe the mood of producer. We need to realize one thing. It is because of producer, we are making films. So it's our responsibility to serve them to the best of our abilities. I created my rapport with my producers in such a way that they discus any thing about the film with me without any hesitation. It's a kind of mutual admiration and service. Just the way, I serve them with my skills, they are make sure that my career goes on well. Click here to listen

You handle most of the special effects films in Telugu cinema and you have earned the tag of special effects director. What is the secret behind it?
When I got an offer of directing a graphics film (Ammoru), I read the related books to improve my knowledge. I firmly believe that, we should not blindly depend on any technician for the best results. We need to get the grip of the technique and should know the ways of using special effects for the scene only when they are required at a minimal cost and in less duration of time. But there is another reason for success of my graphics films. In all those films, graphics are used to elevate the goodness and heroine. I never tried to use graphics to glorify the evil. People don't like it when graphics are used when Ravana kidnaps Seeta or Ravana beats vanaras. Use of graphics glorifies the scene when Ram kills Ravana. Producers prefer me since I use the graphics with in the budget. I am very thankful for my producers to give me such an opportunities. I am happy and at the same time feel more responsible. Click here to listen

You have changed the trend of films with Ankusam. What contributed towards the success?
It is my first political revolutionary film. Struggle of sincerity was portrayed in the film. There are lots of positive characters in the film. In the real life, we observe that people with sincerity lose the battle. In film too, we depicted it in the practical sense. After Ankusam, it was Bharat Bandh that got another recognition for me as a political moviemaker. It was commercially big hit even in Tamil, Kannada and Hindi. I am feeling lucky to have producers who have different tastes. I am going to make another sensational political film called 'Jhanda'. I am writing script for that film. Click here to listen

Whats your brothers doing?
I have two brothers. One (Kodi Laxman) is doing photography and another one (Kodi Venkanna) is doing production control. I feel sad that I am being a hinderance factor for their talent. Since, they are my brothers, people think that they are in the field because of me without realizing that they too have enough talent. It's always a disadvantage for the brothers, if one of them is very big and popular. My brothers are sincere and hardworking. Click here to listen

Tell us about your parents
My family is very nice family. My parents are very nice persons. They helped and encouraged me a lot. My father is a very dominating personality. He worked as a subedar in Army. Though my mother has seen me succeed in films, my father could not see my success in the films. Click here to listen

Is your father an influence for your films, as you did lot of films that projects good police and army officers
There is no direct influence. But his actions used to provoke me. He is a very nice person to friends and good people and was nasty when it comes to the evil-minded people. He taught us lot of good things in life. Click here to listen

Are you planning to adapt the characterization of your father for any of the future films?
Yes. I am going to direct a film called Ravi Astaminchani Raghavagari Kutumbam. A new comer would play the character of Raghava. Click here to listen

What are your present films?
The films Navvutu Bratakali Raa and Jai Bhadra Kali are in the finishing stages. Devi Putrudu is ready for the release. Anji will be released soon. I will be making a folklore picture with Balayya soon. The script has come extraordinarily. The film Devullu has become a sensational hit in the end of year 2000. I never enjoy my hits. But for the first time I am enjoying the hit of Devullu. Everybody is impressed with that film alike. This year I am going to have a festival as three big budgets films Devi Putrudu, Anji and Balayya folklore films are releasing. Click here to listen

Shyam Reddy has told me that you directed three films in Srikakulam at a single spot without even minute confusion?
There are instances when I did 5 films together too. I directed Lord Shiva related shots for the three films Jai Bhadrakali, Anji and Devu Putrudu. I am clear of the subject. Even if the producer wake me up from a sleep and asked the scene, I would be giving the answer with same level of clarity. I had the fortune of working under the great director LV Prasad for a year along with Dasari Narayana Rao. LV Prasad used to tell us that the life is short and being a creative people we must work all the time to convey the good message to the public in an innovative way. Work sincerely and do number of films: is my motto. The success of the film is decided the moment we write the good script on the paper. Click here to listen

Why did you stop acting in the films?
I used to have a friend's banner called Lalitha Kalanjali. Using that banner only we used to do stage plays in our school time. When we produced films, I restricted myself as the actor for only those films. But the other producers started asking me to act. At the same time, it's very difficult to act as well as direct. But, if I like the character very much I may act in the future. Click here to listen

Why do u wear a white headband all the time?
In the beginning I used to use it as a protection from the sun. During my second film, I happened to do shooting in the farmland. At that time, I happened to meet to a farmer, who was wearing the headband (tala paaga), even in the evening. I asked him why he was wearing headband even though there is no heat. He told me that farmers wear headband not to protect from the rays of sun but to make them aware all the time that they are wearing the weight of the mother of earth as a symbolism so that they never forgets their responsibilities. His words inspired me and then onwards I started wearing a headband regularly to be aware all the time the onus of films is on me. Click here to listen

Why do you have so many wrist threads of different colors? Even the Chiranjeevi character in Anji too has so many threads to the wrist.
These threads are wrapped around my wrist whenever I go to temples. These threads give me lot of moral spirit. As human beings, we can combat all the problems and forces to some extent. But there are some extra terrestrial forces on which we have no control. These threads help me in combating them. That's why I don't get defeated or depressed by any attacks. I get more positive vengeance out of it. These threads are God's gift to me. Click here to listen

Tell us about your experiences with Balayya?
Balayya is a great friend of me. He inherited all good qualities from his father. He is frank guy. He means what he says. He does not care about what the others think of. He is a royal hero. He has lots of respect for the senior actors. If Bhanuamatigaru is in sets, he would be standing in front of her all the time. He does not sit when Bhanumatigaru is around even if she requests him to take a seat. He sounds very innocent when he is talking. At the same time, he is a good revolutionist and a great decision maker. I can visualize his father in his action on the screen. He is the right inheritor of the acting legacy NTR has left behind. He is a very good friend of me. All the films in our combination are super hits. We feel like we are real brothers. Click here to listen

Can you give our visitors some details about the folklore film you are going to direct with Balayya?
The two characters (son and father) Balayya playing in that film would be sensational. The Telugu audiences need an abrupt change and new trend in the films. To cater to that need we have chosen the folklore background. Balayya is playing amazing characters of son of Bhanumati and grandson of Bhanumati. This film would be a great revolutionary film having the nine rasas. We are going graphics for that film too. Since it is coming from the good banner like Bhargav arts, with the kind of backdrop and teamwork we have, this film would become a sensational hit. Click here to listen

Tell us about your opinion on Venky?
The first film in our combination was 'Srinivasa Kalyanam'. At that time he was low on the confidence level about his acting. He used to feel that his father should waive of the dubbing studio charges for all his producers. He has that bent of mind towards his producers from the beginning. After my hit Ankusam, Venky asked me to choose a story for him of Ankusam intensity. I have done Satruvu later with him, which has become a super hit. Everybody, including his father Rama Naidu, has felt that Venky's characterization in that one was very powerful. After Satruvu, I had lot of offers to do film with Venky. But I waited till now and doing Devi Putrudu, as the characters in that film too are very dynamic. Story of the film would be very unusual. Right from the beginning, Venky used to be very friendly with everybody. He has a helping nature. I asked him why he selected acting, though he did his MBA abroad. He told me that he wanted to help the people. He wanted to earn money in the industry and help the poor. He is a producer's hero. He dons the role of producer in the shooting spot. He has all the good qualities of the artist. Though he has already proved himself, he has a bright future for him as a star. Click here to listen

Tell us about your opinion on Nag?
I like Nagarjuna a lot. He is son of my favorite hero ANR. When I did my first movie with Nag, I encouraged him that he should act like his father. He is a dynamic hero. He is lucky to get the mass following from NTR fans and class and ladies fallowing from ANR fans. He also had the opportunity, which other artists of his generation could not get. That is playing the role of Annamayya. I told ANR that his son has got the opportunity to play the role of Annamayya at an young age and he did extremely well and I did see the acting of ANR in Nag's action in Annamayya. Nag is a dynamic and open-minded good actor. Click here to listen

You have taken 4 years so far to make Anji. Don't you think the artists do change in their physical appearance in these four years of time?
We are taking all precautions to avoid any of those disparities. If you notice the history, Lava Kusa proved that the changes in physical appearances do not matter, if you involve the viewers with gripping narration. It has taken five years to make Lavakusa. The actors of characters Lava and Kusa change the way they look through out various scenes. But nobody made it a point to criticize because of the gripping narration. If you have stuff in the cinema, all these petty issues do not matter. Though it has taken 4 years to make this film, viewers would realize that it should have taken seven years to make such a powerful graphics film. Did you notice the time period it has taken to work on the sculpture of Lord Buddha? People realized the greatness of it only when it was hoisted in the middle of Tank Bund. It's very easy to criticize that this film is taking long time to make. I would like to appreciate Shyam Prasad Reddy for one reason. He would have made a mass film with the Chiranjeevi dates and amassed a cool profit of 3 crores. But he preferred to make an extraordinary film by putting so much of money. We want to thank Chiranjeevi for his time. His time is very valuable. In the beginning, we told him that this film would take long time as it involves graphics. He kept his promise by never letting us down. There are some scenes in which threads hang him for a day and he obliged it. He behaved like a new artist and followed all our instructions. That's the reason why we could complete all the talkie part the way we wanted it to be. He is the megastar and he would be like this for the next 100 years. His effort is a great source of inspiration to all of us. I like him very much for the hard work he puts in. Both of us have lot of similar qualities. At times, I had to request him to come and act in the night times because of my other shootings. And he used to oblige me that sleep in the morning so that we can do the shooting all through out the night. According to me, he is the monument to the new generation of Telugu cinema. Click here to listen

I heard that matrix effect is pictured for Anji. In the past we observed that it has been shot for Rayalaseema Ramanna Chowdary. But was edited as it did not come well. Then it was shot for Jayam Manadera, and it was unimpressive on the screen. How are you going to make sure that it will work well for this time?
We got inspired by matrix and are putting a few scenes with that effect. We are making sure that it is of original quality. Otherwise, we wont have it in the film. Click here to listen

Do you have any message for the idlebrain.com visitors?
I hope that all the visitors like and enjoy the articles and programs put by you. They should refer your web site to their friends and give you their valuable feedback for the improvement of the web site. Click here to listen

You seem to be too good a guy to be in cinema field where people know one word 'I'. When I asked you to give a message to our visitors, you looking from my point of view rather than telling about yourself.
We have to follow one advice. If we talk about ourselves, others do not talk about us. If we talk about others, others talk about us. I never like to talk about myself. I also do not like the sweet words about me by other. I love to have criticism on my work so that I can improve upon myself. I like critics a lot. I need them. Click here to listen

How much of footage you have in your films? How much will go in trimming?
The final film will have 13,000 feet to 14000 feet after editing. I shoot around 15000 feet to 16000 feet. Around 2000 feet of film would be trimmed in the editing. Click here to listen

What is the importance of sound in your film?
Sound is important in a film as it is used to communicate. We should use sound in the film very selectively wherever it is needed. The effect of sound glorifies according to the intensity of the scene. I do remember a scene from the Sholay where Dharmendra tosses a coin in the climax. That sound registered in my mind because of the gripping situation in the film. That's where we have to capitalize on the sounds. Otherwise, I don't prefer unnecessary sounds in my films. I don't follow the old adage of 'Pulini Choosi Nakkalu Vaatha Pettukovadam'. Click here to listen

You have been so kind to us. Thank you.
It's you, your friends and your blessings that are driving me to put lot of efforts. I am here because of my producers who do fight with me and get the difficult work done. Click here to listen