At 81, Singeetham wants to make more films

Age doesn't seem to have slowed down National Award-winning filmmaker Singeetham Srinivasa Rao. The octogenarian recently completed a Telugu film titled "Welcome Obama" and now wants to do a sequel to 1991 Telugu blockbuster "Aditya 369".

"Welcome Obama", reportedly based on surrogacy, is releasing Friday.

"The sequel to 'Aditya 369' is on. It's in the process. There will be a time machine concept in the sequel too, but I'm working on a different screenplay. But, it will only go on floors after Balayya (Balakrishna) is relieved of his commitments. We are expected to meet soon, sit and discuss the project," Singeetham told IANS.

"Aditya 369", which featured Nandamuri Balakrishna in the lead, was a film about time travel, made much ahead of its time. The film was very well received by audiences.

"I will also work on another film soon. It's too early to comment on it, but it will be an interesting project too," he added.

While several filmmakers spend months on a project, Singeetham completed "Welcome Obama" in 33 days.

"It was a challenge. I don't like to waste too much time sitting on a film unless necessary. I completed the film in 33 days because we shot consistently and punctually for the entire shooting period," he said.

"I saved a lot of time because I used to arrive on the sets around 6.30 a.m. every day. I would ensure everything was in place before we started shooting. This also in a way helped us in saving a lot of time," he added.

For his next film, he is attempting a rare feat. He says the film will be pre-recorded, acting as a base for shooting.

"I intend to record music, sound, and dialogues for the film even before it goes on floors. The pre-recorded content will then be loaded on to a single-track disc, which will act as a base while shooting. We don't have to shoot anything on the spot hence it minimizes time and effort," he added.

Talking about "Welcome Obama", Singeetham said: "It's a film that will focus on human relationship. What brings two individuals to come together and the importance of trust in every relationship? I have addressed all this through my film, while touching upon a very important issue."

Known for highly success films such as "Pushpak", "Michael Madana Kama Rajan" and "Apoorva Sagodharargal", Singeetham even penned the lyrics and composed music for "Welcome Obama".

"I like to multi-task. I have worked with several legends over the years, and most of them used to write dialogues, songs and even compose music for their films. Since I come from the same school, I'm always try to multi-task," he said.

Singeetham has composed music for several films in Kannada, while he has written songs for his Telugu directorial "Bhairava Dweepam".