Like everyone, director Clax from Bheemavaram liked watching cinema since childhood but the major influence was from home. His father was a huge movie buff and would watch a film multiple times. He would even bring audio tracks/cassettes home and they all would listen to it. In a chat with Y.Sunita Chowdhary of Klapboardpost.com, Clax narrates an anecdote from his childhood that was instrumental in making him a director and much more. He reminisces, “The basic entertainment here in Bheemavaram was cinema and when I came to Hyderabad I definitely wanted to do something creative. Becoming a filmmaker was the last thing I had in mind. I am not the kind of person who would watch films regularly but my roommates wanted to become directors. They would discuss cinema at length and once I happened to see an Italian film called ‘Life Is Beautiful’; Till then what was entertainment turned into a passion. It influenced me strongly and I observed that a film offers a lot of scope to express ourselves creatively. Life Is Beautiful was about Nazi’s occupation, set against the World War. The title was so apt for the story. In the film, the members in the family are stranded in different places and the youngest one in the family keeps watching as his father is taken away to be killed. After the war, the Jews pick him up and make him sit on the tanker. Happy he was given a position to sit on it and oblivious to what was happening around, he innocently screams ‘mummy we won the game’ when he spots her. It was very moving.”
In Hyderabad, Clax was slowly moving in the company of assistant directors, he participated in story discussions with the writers and began reading literature voraciously. He also began writing stories alongside doing a job. When an assistant director told him that a film was about to go on floors, he left the job but the movie didn’t roll. He got busy learning editing etc and through a mutual friend got introduced to director Sudheer Verma. He was working as a chief AD for Veedu Theda and Clax was offered an assistant director’s position in a film. What happened then? He continued, “I travelled with him and when he began directing Swami Ra Ra, he roped me in. I also worked for RGV and Devakatta. In between I was even making trials to find a producer for my story and when it didn’t click, I would get to take up an AD’s job in some film or the other. This would go on for some time, working as an associate and also trying for a break as a director. Around that time, I was introduced to producer Benny and I narrated the story to him. He liked it. I had written this in 2012 during the making of Swami Ra Ra.”
Most directors these days are picking plots that are trending and are weaving stories around them. How about you? “I am a subjective film maker and I don’t go by formulas and don’t make films as per the trending subjects in the market. Every Friday, people’s opinions change. The audience liked Bimbisara and Sitaramam that were released on the same day, they belong to different genres. We should do what we believe and there is no success formula as such in this industry. Film making is a process and sometimes films of one genre becoming successful is purely coincidental. If a popular production house or filmmaker knew what clicks, he/they would have been on the job and would have minted money by now and would hardly leave an opportunity for an outsider. All I can say is just follow your heart, if it works then it’s great. Film making is a gamble. I will write a joke but it depends if you are tickled by it or not. Our interpretation is subjective i.e how you feel about it is your perspective.” Clax couldn’t be more right.
When Clax had his story ready and approached producers, they suggested changes in the story. It took him eight long years for the film to roll because he didn’t agree to the changes. He stresses, “I came here to tell my stories and influence people. I am not here to earn tons of money and get fame…all of this is a byproduct. If money only gave me happiness, I would have done something else. I want to project a perspective and if it happens I get a kick, irrespective of the result.” Producer Benny asked Clax for reasonable changes but that didn’t change the core of the story. The premise is set in a rural village. All characters in Bedurulanka have grey shades but in their point of view they justify their actions and presume they are the heroes in their life. Clax says in connection with the plot that people with herd mentality don’t quite approve of people with a different mind. They want to pull the person who thinks differently into their group or they let him stay away from the group. The hero here is someone who stays with them and enlightens them. The film has come out well.
