From 'Dollar Dreams' to 'Kubera': Sekhar Kammula’s Guide to Making Every Character Count (Even the Dog!)

From Dollar Dreams to Kubera: Sekhar Kammula’s Guide to Making Every Character Count (Even the Dog!)
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Highlights

Sekhar Kammula is well-known among Telugu movie fans for bringing a refreshing touch to cinema. His films have left a lasting impact

Sekhar Kammula is well-known among Telugu movie fans for bringing a refreshing touch to cinema. His films have left a lasting impact. The first movie, Dollar Dreams, could have received wide acclaim if it had been released in more theatres. Rediff.com even stated that the film reintroduced social realism to the Telugu screen. Kammula often mentions that his favorite filmmaker is Bapu. Bapu has his unique way of storytelling that tries to remind people of the beauty of the equation that men and women have. Kammula takes this a step further, adding both beauty and realism to his characters.

His films bring depth, strength, and the richness of high values in characters—elements that were missing in many movies before. Kammula once shared in an interview that during his masters in Howard University, his Tamil classmates used to mock Telugu films for lacking depth. He decided he wanted to change that perception.

Kammula has written love stories like Anand and Fida, political stories like Leader, and a mix of love and politics in Godavari. He has also crafted coming-of-age stories like Happy Days and Life is Beautiful. Love Story, as the name suggests, is a love story, but it also addresses a distressing social issue, all told in Sekhar Kammula's distinct way.

One of the unique aspects of Sekhar Kammula's movies is the way he writes his characters. Telugu films often leaned on preachy messages or pure entertainment. Kammula introduced a fresh storytelling approach, where every character—whether negative or positive—has depth. The film doesn't just focus on the "hero"; instead, every character plays an important role, making the entire film impactful.

His films have gained worldwide appreciation for the portrayal of heroines. Kammula doesn’t try to make his heroines appear artificially strong; instead, he gives equal depth to every character he writes, making them more realistic. This approach makes his heroines shine bright. It's no exaggeration to say that he is like the Constitution for character writing in films. He treats every character equally, ensuring everyone has a significant role. In Godavari, for example, he wrote a character and gave (his) voice for a dog. The boy who owns the dog is shown as morally superior to Kamal Kamaraju’s character in the movie—something that can only be seen in Sekhar Kammula's films. In Anand, the auto driver character has only a few dialogues but exhibits self-respect in such a brief moment. Similarly, in every small and large roles he wrote, there is something to look forward to.

His films reflect his deep respect for characters, showing how there are no boundaries when it comes to their inclusion in the story. Kammula genuinely brings his characters to life on screen.

Though he may take time to craft his scripts, they are always worth the wait, leaving a lasting impact on the hearts of audiences. Currently, Kammula is working on Kubera, an upcoming film with an ensemble cast featuring Dhanush, Nagarjuna, Rashmika, Jim Sarbh, Dalip Tahil, Saurav Khurana, and Sunaina Yella. Today, February 4, Sekhar Kammula turns 53. He is also a favorite filmmaker for many prominent figures in the Telugu film industry.



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