Ever since the trailer of director Maruthi’s Prathi Roju Pandage starring Sathya Raj and Sai Dharam Tej in the lead was released, everyone has been drawing parallels to Korean film The Farewell. While many have been saying he has “ripped off” the concept and “blatantly copied”, the director himself has an interesting perspective on the same.
Opening about it, Maruthi shares in an exclusive conversation, “I get inspired a lot! I am someone who watches lots of trailers and each time I see something interesting, I get inspired! In fact, Bhale Bhale Magadivoyi was inspired by the Tamil film Varuthapadatha Valibar Sangam. Pizza inspired Prema Katha Chitram, Siva Manasula Shruthi inspired Ee Rojullo, 7/G Brundavan Colony inspired Busstop. If you look at any of these films, no two films are remotely related but I did take it as an inspiration.”
He adds that it was a similar case for Prathi Roju Pandage as well. “When I was working on this film, I saw many trailers. And it is not just the Korean film The Farewell that I have taken an inspiration. There are other films like 7 Sundays and Malayalam film Oru Muthassi Gadha which is made on a grandmother. When I do a film, I like to watch films of similar genres to understand how well a film has been made and if there’s something more we can add to the space.”
The director adds that cinema is vast and that he finds that being inspired is very natural. “Even though there is an inspiration, people may not connect the dots because technically speaking it is only my mind that makes a connection. I will understand if someone says that I am lying because it is hard to believe how I might have been inspired to make one story out of something completely different. For me, I just connect with a point and a story forms, which is the new story that I am making. We aren’t copying frame to frame, but instead telling a new story.”
Apparently, he even faced an interesting conversation with a film’s producer in the past. “Mahanubhavudu was inspired by the trailer of Malayalam film 24 North Kottayam and the character’s OCD in the film. The producer did call me to say it is a similar film because of two similar shots in the trailer. I told him that the film is indeed inspired from the film but has nothing similar. I invited him to come and watch the film to be sure and he agreed with me!”
Maruthi ends nonchalantly, “I won’t deny the inspiration because it is there 100 per cent. I feel that happens to everyone. Some may agree, some may not. But I won’t deny it.”
