Chiru helped Prakash Raj and me patch up: Krishna Vamsi

Fortunes are fickle in showbiz and Krishna Vamsi understands it better than most. About a decade ago he was one of the most sought-after filmmakers in the business, revered as ���Creative Genius.��� However, after an extended lean patch, the buzz around him died as the limelight shifted to a new crop of filmmakers like Puri Jagannadh, Rajamouli, VV Vinayak and the likes.But post the success of Govindudu Andarivadele (GAV), Vamsi shot back into reckoning.
���My phone has started buzzing again. And a lot of people who had turned their back on me earlier have resurfaced. But I know who my real friends are. That���s one of the positives of having a
tough time,��� says the filmmaker smiling. He seems to have got the spring in his step back.
Success must feel good after a prolonged spell of failures at the BO?
(Smiles) Oh yes. More importantly I realised that I still command respect of my peers and that���s most gratifying. The industry thrives on success and doesn���t waste time being kind on unsuccessful guys. I don���t want to blame anyone for my bad phase. It was caused by a combination of some wrong decisions, associations and bad luck.
Is it true that you went into depression?
Well, partly. Some of my films flopped despite having higher filmmaking standards than some of the recent blockbusters. Box-office failure is different from cinematic catastrophe. I felt creatively exhausted. But I just couldn���t compromise on the academics of filmmaking and I think that���s what got me through the tough phase.
You sorted out your differences with Prakash Raj. Is there a backstory behind the patch up?
I have to thank Annayya (Chiranjeevi) for it. He backed me when nobody was willing to and helped me and Prakash burry our differences. We were weighing options when thinking about finding a replacement to Raj Kiran. Everyone felt Prakash Raj would be perfect for the role. But then Annayya was sceptical as things weren���t well between me and Prakash. He asked me if I was fine with having Prakash in the project. I said, ���Annaya, cinema is bigger than anything.���(Movie is most important to me) Chiru convinced me saying, ���It���s a small life��� you are a creative
director and he's a great actor. It���s sad that you guys are not on talking terms. But I don���t want to force you as a director you should be comfortable with the actors on the sets���. I sent a message to Prakash���s manager that I want to meet him. But Prakash came and met me instead.
What went wrong between you and Prakash Raj?
To put it in a philosophical way, I had to say ���bad time���. Both of us are impatient, temperamental, eccentric and highly egoistic, individuals, and all these have affected our equation. It wasn���t exactly a spat, but we just stopped talking to each other and never bothered to correct it. But like the saying goes, ���familiarity breeds contempt,��� we just needed a break (smiles).
Was it difficult to get Ram Charan to emote in his first ever family drama?
I���ve always believed in making actors do roles they haven���t done before. Since Charan never did something like this, I thought he could be apt for a family drama. He was kicked and was willing to do anything for trying new genre. We did a lot of homework ��� watched a lot of family dramas, drove down to villages to help Charan understand the atmosphere, mind-sets of
the people etc. He comes across as a shy and reserved guy but has a fun and family loving side to him. I tried to bring that side of him onscreen.
Are you as eccentric and temperamental at home as well?
Not really. I���m very absent-minded at home���always lost in my thoughts. Ramya and my son Ruthvik Krishna are everything to me. My son is 9-years-old and I love playing with him and going out with Ramya whenever time permits. I���ve shifted my base to Chennai but I come to Hyderabad for work commitments. Ramya is busy doing Tamil serials and I���m busy in Telugu films. But we understand each other well and respect commitments.
Do you and Ramya talk about each other���s professional commitments?
Ramya is pretty choosy about roles. She accepts offers only if she likes the roles. But we don���t really get involved in each other���s professional lives too much. Ramya analyses my films and gives me constructive criticism sometimes. She is a very good analyser and is more practical than me.
You don���t seem to socialise much at filmi events
Honestly, I don���t like attending filmi parties. There���s a lot of bitching that goes on and I don���t enjoy it. At such parties I have to greet, smile and praise everyone etc. and that���s not my nature. I am not being judgemental about anybody. It���s just that I���m frank and if I go to audio launches and film openings, I���ll have to lie about how nice the movie is, the actors and so on. But I do go to pubs and enjoy partying only with my select group of friends.