‘Making films about my roots is my way of demonstrating nationalism’
Praveena Paruchuri, a New York-based cardiologist by profession, found an alternate calling in Tollywood a few years ago! After hitting all the right notes with films like the sensational C/O Kancharapalem and Uma Maheswara Ugra Roopasya, she’s set to make another movie.
She says her next film will be a rustic drama like the earlier two. “It’s a quirky comic drama set in a small village. The film is about how the protagonist solves his complicated issues by being smart. It will be narrated humorously,” shares Praveena, who says that she has a new director on board. The shooting will commence in a couple of months.
Praveena, who was born in USA to Telugu parents, says, “I was good at academics, so I studied medicine. But the thought of becoming a filmmaker was always there.” She says she had wanted to narrate stories, influenced by her father, a film buff and a fan of old Telugu movies. Instead of cartoons she used to watch Telugu classics during her childhood. And her inclination towards arts and cinema grew as she read about Indian arts and culture. “I pursued a filmmaking course in New York Film Academy (NYFA), and eventually sneaked into the Telugu industry through my friend,” she shares.
As a child, she would visit Hyderabad with her parents on and off. But though many filmmakers make their home here for a Tollywood career, Praveena, even after becoming a filmmaker, visits the city only when shootings are in progress.
“Initially I thought about making a home in Hyderabad, but I don’t want contemporary filmmakers in India to influence me. They have their own viewpoint. I can’t compete with them. I want to have my own perspective and be unique,” reveals Praveena, insisting that she wants to reflect Telugu culture in films for Telugu Diaspora across the world.
And like many American born Indians, she too struggled with identity issues.
“Being in the US, I feel we are losing out on telling stories about our roots and our own backyards. At this point, reaching out to our roots and being true to it is our way of demonstrating nationalism and patriotism,” Praveena says.
She also talks about the challenge of striking a balance between the diverse fields of films and medicine. During the pandemic she dedicated all her time to practicing medicine. “The medical profession gives me intellectual challenge while films give me creative satisfaction,” she explains.
For someone who is an outsider, making a mark in the film industry is itself a huge achievement. She considers herself very lucky, although being on film sets in India is tough. “I never lived in India, so the work culture is different for me. I encountered challenges on cultural issues because I’m a woman, in the film world, so it took some time to adapt,” she reveals, adding that despite medicine and films being male-dominated professions, she has survived and learnt how to be a boss.
“But I am the most popular doctor in my hospital, thanks to my plunge into films,” she laughingly signs off.
