I have always believed that as a film maker I have a special gift. It’s not a unique gift, just special. Which means I am sure that many others are blessed with this gift…and I am by no means the only person in the world to have it…but it is special all the same.

And the gift is simple. The moment I write my scripts, choose my models / actors and my location I visualize all my films frame by frame. If there was any way we could take a film output from my brain I am sure that a ready-to-view film print would be ready in a matter of seconds. And yes, before you ask…my imagination is audio included i.e. my visualization is complete with sound tracks.

This perhaps explains why the sound tracks I have used in many of my films are truly brilliant examples of each Music Director / Composer’s talent.

Now before you think that I am indulging in a selfie called bombastic flattery, let me assure you that I am too fat to be anything but modest. What I have said is just a pre-amble to a very nice story that has peppered my life for quite a few years now.

The story involves Surendra, my dear friend and camera person for close to three decades. And a silver screen temptress called Silk Smitha.

You see Surendra, as a son of the late Nagabhashanam garu (Tollywood villain of yore) has been exposed to a lot of the characters who make up the Telugu Film Industry. Several stars, directors and technicians have been house guests in their home in Chennai. Many of the musicians and second rung actors have in fact been his classmates in school or college. One girl who was given sanctuary in his house many years ago was Silk Smitha.

While his claim that she used to sweep their house may be a clear case of exaggeration and I can’t even certify that he actually knew the lady, what I can say is that he was definitely obsessed with her.

And the obsession took a very peculiar shape. He was obsessed with the idea of shooting her for a film. And he was convinced that she would make the best model for any product, service, brand…

And that is where I get involved in this story.

Every time I picked up an assignment to shoot a film, corporate or ad, I’d make it a habit to call for a meeting, call it a brainstorming if you will, and discuss with Suri the shoot I had in mind, the story I had conceived and the brief that I was working on. The idea was to ensure that he was mentally prepped for the task in hand and if there were any techniques to be brushed up, this was a surefire way of making sure he did his homework before actually landing up for the shoot.

Now these brainstorming sessions were and continue to be open, free and friendly. Often they are conducted with some serious help from alcoholic beverages. And invariably they end with Suri deciding that the script I had written was not up to the mark…essentially because I had ignored the potential and talent of Silk Smita.

Now I am all in for healthy criticism and welcome contributions from my team. But with Silk Smitha I think Suri took it too far. Take a look at this…

When we were assigned the task of making a film for a coir mattress I worked on a script that involved a child practicing martial arts at home and his parents quite happy that he was safe…Suri cornered me and suggested we shoot with Silk…

A man will come into frame Sir, he started…and then lie down on Silk Smitha…after a while he will look uncomfortable…and then he’ll shift to the bed…and fall asleep. And the line can say something about the mattress brand being more comfortable than Silk Smitha.

Needless to say I didn’t take the idea too seriously and went ahead with my original script.

The next time we were working on a docudrama to address peoples’ concerns about Electricity Reforms and were looking for a typical housewife Suri again suggested Silk…

…and his storyline was built around the notion that any house where Silk was shimmering, couldn’t ever be in the dark. I fobbed him off by saying the Government (our client) did not have a budget for a celebrity model like Silk Smitha.

When we were looking for a female model to act in an ad film promoting a performance enhancing pill, Silk Smitha’s name was energetically thrust forward. And when the client did not react positively to the idea Suri asked why?

The client said that she did not look homely, not too much like a typical housewife. To which Suri took serious objection and insisted that Silk Smitha was the perfect housewife.

For a jewelry client, his script featured the lady wearing nothing but necklaces, waist bands, bangles etc., and no other clothes…apparently he was inspired by Rekha’s role in some movie.

Luckily the client said he did not have enough material to cover her for modesty. The next film he suggested was a masterpiece.

We were looking for a mother figure who could advise children about their health. Suri’s contention was that Silk Smitha was not just sexy and appealing to audiences, she shared a wonderful bond with children. The client got worried and suggested that I stop dreaming of producing a soft-porn movie at his cost.

These are but few of the experiences with Suri. There are many more in the archives of my memories…nestling there with the raw footage of the Silk Smitha film that Suri had envisioned…so yes, I have shot the lady quite often. And I do have many films produced with her in the lead. And yes, my dreams can be transferred onto film…but shall we let that be…