WE ARE NOT BUSINESS PEOPLE YET. WE ARE STILL STORYTELLERS

Journalists-turned-producers Hemanth Kumar and Vrinda Prasad reflect on making their debut film Muthayya, how their newsroom past helps, and why production despite the unpredictability

- ADITYA DEVULAPALLY

Ta time when the line between audience and artist continues to blur, journalists Hemanth Kumar and Vrinda Prasad have made the leap from observing cinema to making it.

Their debut production Muthayya, a heartwarming Telugu indie written and directed by Bhaskhar Maurya, was born not out of a boardroom plan but a shared restlessness.

The film, which stars Sudhakar Reddy Kethiri in a breakout performance, has travelled to several festivals and earned praise from industry giants including SS Rajamouli and Samantha Ruth Prabhu.

But for Hemanth and Vrinda, it's not just about acclaim, it's about integrity too.

Vrinda says the shift began when she grew disillusioned with television.

"There's only so much you can do on TV," she adds, "There's a format, and there's no space to explore stories with heart.

I'd always told Hemanth, who's been my best friend for over 15 years, that we should do something on our own one day. But we didn't have the courage then."

In 2019, the duo planned to do something else but it didn't last long.

Then, in 2021, Vrinda, working at Zee at the time, decided she'd had enough of corporate restraints.

She recalls quitting on May 30.

Five days later, a friend brought Bhaskhar's Muthayya script to them.

"He said, 'It's your kind of film.' We heard it on June 5, and by June 7, we told Bhaskhar we were in.

No investors, no plan; we just knew we had to make it."

Funding came from a friend, equipment came from well-wishers, and goodwill fuelled the production.

Cinematographer Divakar Mani joined on a friendly basis and was later given co-producer credit.

"Everything about this film happened because of people who just believed in the story," Vrinda says.

Hemanth's entry into production, he says, stems from his 'genuine love for Telugu cinema.'