Keep Smiling...............: Mithai

My first movie music launch......

In a film world....there's quite a story that led upto it, and quite a story during too......so so filmy :)

First the movie.

Mithai is a debut of film director Prashanth, a friend of Swaroop's from college, and he's quite the personality. You see him and you know it.....and you hear of him and you know it more. Prashanth is from Bihar, studied in Manipal, and landed in Hyd. As Shafi said on stage " "ఇతనికి ఒక్క ముక్క తెలుగు రాదూ , తెలుగు సినిమా ఎల్లా తీసాడో " (he doesn't speak even a word of telugu, it's a wonder he created a movie in telugu).

He apparently wrote the entire movie in english, and then got it translated. He has produced and directed the film, and going by the sequence of events, like Swaroop said, it's hats off that he managed to complete the film.

Infact, Prashanth himself spoke of how there would be days he would have no money on him at all, and he'd still start the shoot.

In terms of context; Swaroop was here on a visit a few months back when he went to meet up with Prashanth. He'd just quit his corporate advertising job, and Prashanth quickly roped him into advertising for the film, and that's how the story of Swaroop's involvement with the film came about.

Some stories I've heard over these last couple months:

Prashanth literally lived in his studio, he made the metaphor 'eat, sleep, breath film' pretty literal. Apparently, he would be up until two or three in the morning working........sleep right there in the middle of everything, no mattress, no pillow nothing, just pull up a mat and use a backpack for pillow......and then be up in a couple of hours back again at work.

It's that madness of creativity, of faith, of a dream......it's a wow.....and I must say a huge big kudos to him for believing in himself, for that ability of putting everything he had at stake to make that dream true.

A quirky story......apparently he wanted a dog in the film, and when he asked around, found that trained dog actors are really really expensive.....and he said "I'm not even paying my stars that much.....let's just get a goat instead", and he actually has a goat for the role in the film.

If his dressing is fancy, his car is as flashy....it's painted this weirdest of colours for the movie, and I recall Swaroop saying it was such an experience when they would go out for lunch and give it for valet parking.

Even from my distant vantage I can see what an effort it's been.

Here are some pictures from the event:

The ritual of the big CD being uncovered.

Prashanth with the lead actors and Vivek Sagar, his music director. I think this was also a moment where he connected into himself.....those deep moments of emotion.