studio5, dil chahta hai & thattathin marayathu..

Today’s chennai city would never be complete without Sathyam theatre. The concept of film viewing was revolutionized by Sathyam even before the multiplex fever hit Indian cinema. In 2001 when I was doing my higher secondary schooling, I went to Sathyam to watch “Dil Chahta Hai.” Then, the smallest and the newly opened screen in Sathyam called Studio 5 showed the film. I still remember the taste of crispy chocolate doughnut i had that day [sadly its new form is not as good as what we had back then]. I carried my snack and went inside Studio 5. Title graphics of the movie started and instantly it caught my attention. I was hearing a new kind of music for the first time in an Indian film. Those who love DCH will remember the flute bits in the main theme of DCH. It was too different from the kind of hindi films we used to watch those days. The sound, the visuals, the performance, the interior set ups, the simple stylish making of the film…. everything glued me into the screen for the next couple of hours.

I got out of the theatre like a zombie and didn’t go home for a while. There was a small poster of DCH outside and I kept looking at it for a while. What caught my eye was not the charming aamir or the flawless priety or anybody in that poster. there was this small writing at the bottom called “written & directed by Farhan Akthar.” I was discovering what I wanted to be in my life. I prayed that someday I should make a film which would run in this theatre.

I know I have a long way to go before I could be happy about my writing or direction. Every success is an escape from failure, so there is nothing to be proud also. But I feel thankful to god for all that is happening. My film is running in Studio5 now. When I tried for tickets, it shows “Housefull”. Like I wrote in my film,
“chila aagrahangalokke nammal marannaalum, pulli marakkilla ennu thonnunnu”

Vineeth..