Sandhya Raju turns director with the mini feature film ‘Ekasekalu’, streaming on ETV Win

A few minutes into Ekasekalu, a 50-minute film streaming on ETV Win, a character portraying a film producer approaches the vanity van of a star. He is abruptly stopped by the star’s assistant and informed that the actor will step out only if given the right “elevation”, referring to dialogues and shots in mainstream cinema that try to amp up the leading man’s aura. Soon, a bunch of people who have been idling on the sets come together and reel off punchlines that praise the actor. Never mind if the lines are as mundane as “box office baboon”! The caravan door is flung open, or rather forcefully blasted, to reveal an ageing superstar, nicknamed the “blasting star”. Prudhvi Raj plays the actor while Hriday Ranjan plays the director who looks on, bemused.

This satire on the film industry is written by Raj Kumar Kusuma and directed by Kuchipudi dancer Sandhya Raju. Sandhya earlier produced and acted in Natyam (2021), which won the National Film Award for Best Choreography and Best Make-up Artist. 

Ekasekalu is a marked departure from Natyam and its focus on the classical arts. It was initially meant to be a 10-minute short film, says Sandhya. Soon after Natyam, she received acting offers. She listened to stories narrated by directors but says she wanted more clarity on how to select the right one. “That curiosity led me to read books on screenplay writing. The learning helped me break down and understand how some of the best films, across genres, were written. During this time I happened to meet Raj Kumar and listened to his story idea. It was a hilarious take on the film industry and I thought it would make for an entertaining short film. I never thought I would direct a comedy but took it up as part of a learning curve.”

Rohini in ‘Ekasekalu’
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

As they discussed the story and screenplay, Sandhya says they sensed the scope for a slightly longer film. Ekasekalu can be described as a long-short film or as Sandhya terms it, “a mini feature film.” 

The story happens over a day, showing the unexpected turn of events on the sets. The director is told that he is a “namesake” since the star will decide everything, from the writing to the shot divisions. It doesn’t matter if the star has scant respect for the craft. The director’s dream to make a film that would be worthy of being in the Academy Award library is put to rest. And the film within the film is suitably named ‘Sathya Nash’.

Meanwhile, the producer dreams of 1000-crore returns for a 100-crore investment. Everything from the choice of the writer to what the script entails is a spoof. There’s also a mention of pan-Indian films and the two-part fixation. The ageing star is, no surprise, paired with a young female lead, who incidentally is the daughter of one of his early on-screen leading women. 

The film also comments on the role of media in film promotions, the large entourage of the female lead, and how she cannot speak Telugu. Ekasekalu works as an entertaining satire on the industry and Sandhya hastens to add that the intention was never to mock any notable personalities.

The film was shot over four days and carries the vibe of an indie. The laughs keep coming at regular intervals but the film feels stretched after a point. There are times when the audience might feel like Hriday Ranjan’s character, wondering what’s going on. But that’s intentional.

The story was intended to begin and end from the producer’s point of view, but Sandhya says she was keen to give closure to the other characters. The final act shows the next move of the director, the entourage of the female lead, and of course where the heroine and her mother stand in the film industry.

(Ekasekalu streams on ETV Win)