Sukumar garu's phone call after watching Maruthi Nagar Subramanyam gave me confidence and happiness: Director Lakshman Karya

Creative genius Sukumar's wife, Tabitha Sukumar is presenting Maruthi Nagar Subramanyam which is gearing up for release on the 23rd of August. The film is directed by Lakshman Karya and produced by Bujji Rayudu Pentyala and Mohan Karya under PBR Cinemas and Lokamaatre Creations banner. The film features Rao Ramesh, Indraja, Ankit Koyya and Ramya Pasupuleti in the lead roles. As the release fast approaches, here's what the director had to say about the film.

Tell us about yourself?

I'm originally from Tirupati. I used to do phot shoots and short films for my friend who is passionate about acting. I showed my work to Omkar garu while he was auditioning for Genius when I came to Hyderabad. I then returned to directing films in a full fledged manner after completing B. Pharmacy. My first film is Happy Wedding with Sumanth Ashwin and Niharika Konidela. 

Why the delay for your second film?

It too me six months to figure out what went wrong with Happy Wedding. After this assessment, I started writing Maruthi Nagar Subramanyam and then Covid happened, which led to me sitting idle for a couple of years. Then we started this film.

Did you write the story with Rao Ramesh in Mind?

I scripted my story first and then assessed the right actor for it. Rao Ramesh garu was very selective about his roles and many people said he might not do the film. In the first meeting itself, he okayed the film after 15-20 minutes narration. Getting him onboard gave me immense joy.

What inspired Maruthi Nagar Subramanyam story?

I once received Rs 80,000 in my bank account and I didn't know where this money came from. I waited a couple of days to see if anyone would call me saying their unwittily deposited the money in my account but no one called. Later, my mother in law called me saying she credited the money in my account. Those two days, I witnessed many funny conversations with my friends. This is what inspired my film today. 

What about the Allu Aravind dialogue and Allu Arjun reference?

Rao Ramesh garu and Ankit Koyya played father-son duo in the film. Ankit imagines himself as a wealthy kid who got misplaced at birth, like how Allu Arjun garu's character does in Ala Vaikunthapurramulo. This similarity brings his character close to the Allu family as he also imagines himself as Allu Aravind's son. This film is going to have exemplary father son bonding. 

What about Indraja's character?

I can't reveal much about this character as I want it to be a surprise. She is a stellar actress and she gave her very best for our film. There is this very complex scene in the film that she did in a single take. 

How did Tabitha Sukumar onboard this film?

My wife and Tabitha garu have common friends and they knew each other. But Tabitha garu didn't know I'm making films. Later when she got to know about Maruthi Nagar Subramanyam, she and Sukumar garu spoke with me and asked to promote our film well. Tabitha garu was interested in our film and she used to get the updates regularly. 

I had a preview screening for Tabitha garu and I was anxiously waiting outside. I made sure the final copy had the best possible cut. Later, once the screening started, I heard laughs from the inside and this when I knew the film is doing its job. Tabitha garu liked the film and appreciated me. 

How did Mythri Movie Makers onboard?

Mythri Sasi garu came through Tabitha garu and he too likes the film. Later, Naveen garu and Ravi Shankar garu watched it and liked it. So, Mythri collectively onboarded our film then.

Did Sukumar watch the film?

While screening for Tabitha garu, Sukumar garu couldn't make it as he had some other important work. I later sent the hard disk to him. Later, I got a call at 2:30 in the midnight. Sukumar garu said Rao Ramesh garu acted very well and appreciated me by saying I directed it well. This phone call gave me immense confidence and happiness. I am sure the audience will also love this film from 23 August.