A lot of negativity surrounds the film industry, says Indraganti Mohan Krishna

Indraganti Mohan Krishna’s upcoming film Sammohanam, which stars Sudheer Babu and Aditi Rao Hydari, tells the tale of an actress and a middle-class man. The director says that it also touches upon some aspects of the film industry.

“There is a lot of negativity that surrounds the film industry. Many people feel that it is bad. When I chose to enter the film industry, many of my relatives warned me against it. I have touched on a few points in my film, but after watching it, I am sure that people will respect the film industry,” he says.

Indraganti says that a person he met on the sets of Golconda High School was the inspiration for the film. “I met a person who was mad about films, and I wrote a story based on him. Naresh, who plays a father, feels that films are a form of artistic expression, but his son is completely against film industry. How things change when a girl enters their lives makes for an interesting story,” he reveals.

Before Sudheer Babu, the director intended to approach either Vijay Deverakonda or Nani for the lead role, but Vijay’s image changed after Arjun Reddy, and Nani became an in-demand star.

“At that time I watched Samanthakamani and I liked Sudheer’s performance in it. So I narrated my story to him and he readily accepted the role. He even lost weight, which is a plus for my film,” he says.

For the female lead, he initially wanted an actress from the north. “I saw Aditi Rao in Mani Ratnam’s film and approached her,” Indraganti says.