Hyderabad: After delivering the hit Geethanjali, Raja Kiran has now earned his respect as a director in the industry. But he is not basking in glory and taking it easy. He believes giving another hit would make a big difference to his career, so he’s working on it.
Forty five-year-old Raja Kiran is a native of Kaikaluru in Krishna district and developed an interest in films after working as an assistant operator in a theater. He entered the film industry in 1986 and had a long period of struggle for opportunities.
“I left my job as an operator and started photographing marriages and functions in town. The impact of watching numerous movies while playing them for audiences in the theater gave me an eye for cinematic photography. I was recognised and appreciated for this talent and soon through a politician I stepped into the film industry with a dream of directing movies,” he says.
“Since 1998, I worked as co-director, assistant director and associate director for many movies and in 2004 I got chance to direct a movie for Usha Kiran Movies. I believe that was my first success though the project was stopped midway,” he added.
“With the story of Geethanjali I approached almost everyone in the industry. Many producers liked the story but they did not offer me a chance to work with them, instead they wanted me to sell it. I developed that story sitting in a burial ground in Hyderabad so it was very close to my heart. I decided not to give it to anyone and waited for more than two years. At last Kona Venkat made it possible for the story to become a film,” he says.
Raja Kiran believes in numerology and he says, “All the years I struggled in industry, I was using my actual name, Balaji. A year ago I consulted a numerologist and he suggested that I change my name and I chose Raj Kumar. Soon after changing my name my luck changed,” he adds.
However, the industry is all about talent, he acknowledges. “If one has talent they can see success at any point of time. A successful second movie would clear the doubts of all my critics and I can prove my talent. So I plan to direct a commercial entertainer as my second movie,” asserts the director.
