Sukumar is my guru: Surya Pratap

After making his debut with Current in 2009, director Surya Pratap is back after a long break with Kumari 21F, which is a romantic love story. “Yes, there was a big gap after my first film; I have been writing. After my first film, director Sukumar asked me to join him. I worked with him for his film 1 as an assistant,” says Surya.

Talking about Kumari 21F, he says, “The subject evolved when Sukumar and I were talking. Though he was directing Mahesh Babu’s 1, whenever he would get an idea, he would share it with me. That’s how this film’s subject came about.”

After the story was in place, Sukumar asked Surya to direct this film. “My job is easy as Sukumar has written the story, screenplay and

dialogues,” he says. “Initially, we had not thought of Raj Tharun. But one day, he came to our office, met Sukumar and we decided then that he would be the lead actor,” he says.

Hebah Patel is the female lead. “She plays a bold girl. I am confident that the film will connect with the present generation and they will love it,” says the director.

Surya adds that he also formed a rapport with cameraman Ratna Velu and music director Devi Sri Prasad while working with Sukumar. “When I narrated the story, they became excited and sometimes, even corrected me. They are all

experienced and I have learnt a lot from them,” he says.

There are rumours that the film is inspired from the 2004 Hollywood film The Girl Next Door, but Surya says, “The subject is from our personal experiences. It’s not a copy or inspired from any other film.”