Me, Myself and the risks...

Good day, ladies and gentlemen, my name is Adivi Sesh. I'm both the director and the lead actor of the film, KARMA - Do You Believe? It is safe to say that I'm quite nervous as this would be my major motion picture debut. I now have the honor of sharing my thoughts about KARMA and life in general, with the world, on this delightful portal.

I don't think Mr. Jeevi knows this but as a 14 year old in the year 2000, I applied for the job to be a writer/reviewer for this site. Though I didn't speak Telugu very well at the time (I grew up in the States), I loved cinema and I loved my mother tongue. With all my eagerness, I spent half a day writing an email to get Mr. Jeevi's attention, I wanted to write reviews for him! Little did I know that he himself reserved that coveted position. It is true that I've followed this site since its inception. Since then, many have come and gone but this site has remained, in many ways as the go to site (amongst a few others) for a lot of NRIs like myself. I did after all want to write for him because of my love for cinema. It is that love that has driven me to this day.

KARMA for me is the culmination of a two year dream. It would be an understatement to say that I've put blood, sweat and tears into it. I know that every frame, every sound, every detail was pain stakingly evaluated with the single minded determination of making something of value, of consequence to the general cinematic platform of Telugu cinema. I am by no means trying to change the face of Telugu cinema, I am simply pointing out the fact that I was lucky enough to be exposed to two different cultures, two different civilizations, essentially getting the best of both worlds..Indian and American.

It is with that thought that I decided to tell what is essentially an Indian story with an American sensibility. Whether considered good or bad upon viewing, I'm proud to say that KARMA is not the average film. It is instead a film that is a reflection of my personality. I am more interested in subtlety, a simple expression, a finger moved, a shoulder grazed. I am interested in showing an intense slow scene that has tension that can be cut through with a knife. That to me…is the perfect thriller.

When it comes to a thriller, I'm more interested in what I see in the film than what they say. Films like 'Seven' or RGV's 'Shiva' are entirely based on visual flair while films like 'Glengarry Glenross' or any other David Mamet piece, are masterpieces of dialogue. Thrillers to me, precisely work as visual mediums in that they play with light, while the audio's impact is more in the design than in the dialogue (i.e. sound effects).

KARMA is essentially a supernatural thriller with a romantic angle. I've tried to tell more in a frame than I can in words. If something could be said in two worlds instead of eight, I did it. If something could be shown instead of being said, I took that too. Such a decision was probably the biggest risk on this film, considering how a lot of mainstream Telugu film is dialogue based.

Cinema in A.P. now has gotten so diverse that I have been afforded the chance to come up with something in the thriller realm. I cant speak for commerciality, I cant speak for box office. I can simply say that I've made a film that is close to my heart. Whether it be using three American music directors or picking an Award winning American cinematographer, I know that I have been allowed all the honesty that most debutantes are not afforded. I have tried to make what is essentially a truly international Telugu film.

I hope the audience enjoys watching this film as much I have making it.

KARMA releases Nov. 26th.