From ‘Jabardasth’ to ‘Vimanam’, director Siva Prasad Yanam’s unlikely journey. The Samuthirakani film releases June 9

Writer Siva Prasad Yanala makes his debut with the Telugu-Tamil movie ‘Vimanam’
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

The trailer of Vimanam, a Telugu-Tamil bilingual film starring Samuthirakani as the protagonist, indicates an emotional story of father-son bonding. Samuthirakani plays a differently-abled father who wants to fulfil his son’s dream of a journey aboard an aeroplane, though he cannot afford the tickets. Siva Prasad Yanala, who has written and directed the film that releases in theatres on June 9, is best known as one of the writers for the Telugu comedy television show Jabardasth.

Siva Prasad has a hearty laugh when asked about his writing credits for two very different projects. “Jabardasth fetched me a name in television circles and helped me earn a steady income. Now I want to tell stories my way,” he says, during this interview in Hyderabad. Like comedy actor-writer Venu Yeldandi who sprung a surprise with Balagam, does Siva Prasad hope to make a mark with his directorial debut Vimanam? “The response to the private screenings in different cities has been good so far and I am waiting to see how the audience will react to the film once it is released.”

The source material for Vimanam, Siva Prasad recalls, came from a personal space. A few years ago, he used to live in the Balanagar area in the vicinity of Begumpet airport. “My four-year-old son used to be fascinated with the sight of aircraft. Many times I would lift him on my shoulders so that he could get a better view of the aircraft. He was keen to get into an aircraft and I told him that I would take him on a flight.” 

Siva Prasad sensed a story possibility. He began writing about a father desperate to fulfil his son’s wishes amid several challenges. “In the film, Samuthirakani is differently abled, has limited finances and there are other challenges. The way I looked at my father changed once my son was born. I have tried to bring my observations about the father-son bond in this story.” If Vimanam seems emotional, Siva Prasad says the subplot involving Anasuya Bharadwaj and Rahul Ramakrishna tempers the more serious main plot.

Actor Samuthirakani, director Siva Prasad Yanala and others on the sets of Vimanam.
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Actor Dhanraj, with whom Siva Prasad had worked for television, was the first to hear the story and facilitated a meeting with Samuthirakani. Kiran Korrapati and Zee Studios joined hands to produce the film and Vimanam went on floors in late 2022. “We filmed in real locations as well as a special set — planned byJ.K. Murthy — which would resemble a slum in the vicinity of the airport. The story is set in 2008 before the Hyderabad airport moved from Begumpet to Shamshabad. I also wanted a pre-smartphone period when booking flight tickets or searching for ticket prices was not so easy.”