Mohan Krishna Indraganti
Encyclopedia
Mohana Krishna Indraganti is an award-winning Telugu
film director
from India
. His first directorial venture Grahanam
in 2005 fetched him 11 awards with the prominent ones being the National Film Award
, Nandi Award
and Gollapudi Srinivas Memorial Award.
, a small town in the coastal district of West Godavari
in the state of Andhra Pradesh
, India
. Since his parents, Indraganti Srikanth Sharma and Janaki Bala, and grandparents were writers, he had a fascination towards fiction since his childhood. His grandmother's stories were visually detailed in their narration. In addition to this, he has been an avid reader of literary works and also loved to discuss films with his uncle. In an interview, he said that these were the key reasons that contributed to his interest in filmmaking.
His upbringing was from Vijayawada
where he completed his schooling and obtained his Bachelor's degree
in Arts from Loyola College. Thereafter, he pursued his interest in Arts by obtaining a Master's degree
in English language
and Philosophy
from University of Hyderabad
. Once he appeared interested in filmmaking, his parents asked him to get formal education in it. Subsequently, he applied to enroll in one of the courses at the Pune
-based Film and Television Institute of India
; however, his application was rejected. In the meanwhile, he was the writer and associate director for Mahandhra, a socio-cultural, economic and political study of the erstwhile state of Andhra
. This study, made in a documentary
-drama
format for Doordarshan
, was performed in commemoration of India
's 50th year of independence. He sent creative samples from this study to Toronto
-based York University
. This helped him join and complete Master of Fine Arts
in Film and Television during 1998−2000. Even though he registered to continue for his Doctoral degree in Communication and Culture, he discontinued it after a year and returned to Hyderabad in 2001.
Grahanam
was first drafted in 1997, his amateurish skills is constructing the screenplay didn't help much at that time. This draft was based on Doshagunam, a short story written by Gudipati Venkatachalam
(popularly known as Chalam), a yesteryear and a controversial Telugu
writer and philosopher. Since screenplay writing was his specialization in his Master of Fine Arts course at York University, he reworked on the script by the time he returned to Hyderabad.
To bring this script to cinema, he approached several producers to help him finance it. Even though all of them were fascinated by his story, they were hesitant about its commercial viability. After three years of futile search and despair, Indraganti decided to produce the film with his own money. Chalam's daughter gave him permission to make a film from one of her father's literary works. When veteran Telugu cinema
actor Tanikella Bharani
was approached with a promising role in the film and a request for enacting without any compensation, he agreed to do so. Out of goodwill, he introduced Indraganti to one of his producer friends who agreed to produce the movie. His debut film fetched him 11 awards with the prominent ones being the National Film Award
, Nandi Award
bestowed by Government of Andhra Pradesh
and Gollapudi Srinivas Memorial Award.
In 2006
, his second directorial venture was Mayabazaar that featured Bhumika Chawla
and Raja
in the leading roles. After a gap of two years, his next film Ashta Chamma
, which featured Colours Swathi
and Nani, Srinivas Avasarala
and Bhargavi as a quirky group of friends, was released in 2008
.
Nandi Awards
Telugu language
Telugu is a Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, where it is an official language. It is also spoken in the neighbouring states of Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu...
film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
from India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. His first directorial venture Grahanam
Grahanam
Grahanam is a 2004 Telugu film directed by Indraganti Mohan Krishna. The film is based on the Novel and Story written by Gudipati Venkatachalam. The film won many critical acclaims and National and Andhra Pradesh state awards.-Cast:* Tanikella Bharani ... Swamy* Jayalalitha ... Saradamba*...
in 2005 fetched him 11 awards with the prominent ones being the National Film Award
Indira Gandhi Award for Best First Film of a Director
The Indira Gandhi Award for Best First Film of a Director is a National Film Award - Golden Lotus Award, given to a feature film director's first film.The National Film Award - Indira Gandhi Award for Best First Film of a Director winners:...
, Nandi Award
Nandi Award for Best Debut Director
The Nandi Award for Best Debut Director winners:...
and Gollapudi Srinivas Memorial Award.
Early life
Indraganti Mohana Krishna was born in the Telugu Brahmin family in TanukuTanuku
Tanuku, West Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh, India. It was known as Tarakapura in ancient times. The name comes from Tarakasena, who ruled over Tanuku and the adjoining regions. Dr. Karumuri Venkata Nageswara Rao is the current MLA...
, a small town in the coastal district of West Godavari
West Godavari
West Godavari District is one of the 23 districts of Andhra Pradesh, India. Eluru, is the district headquarter...
in the state of Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Since his parents, Indraganti Srikanth Sharma and Janaki Bala, and grandparents were writers, he had a fascination towards fiction since his childhood. His grandmother's stories were visually detailed in their narration. In addition to this, he has been an avid reader of literary works and also loved to discuss films with his uncle. In an interview, he said that these were the key reasons that contributed to his interest in filmmaking.
His upbringing was from Vijayawada
Vijayawada
Vijayawada is the third largest city in Andhra Pradesh, India, located on the banks of the Krishna River and bounded by the Indrakiladri Hills on the West and the Budameru River on the North. The city is located in the Krishna District, about from the state capital Hyderabad.Vijayawada literally...
where he completed his schooling and obtained his Bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in Arts from Loyola College. Thereafter, he pursued his interest in Arts by obtaining a Master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and Philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
from University of Hyderabad
University of Hyderabad
The University of Hyderabad is a post-graduate teaching and research institute in India. It was established by an act of the Parliament in 1974 as a Central University. The university also offers courses under distance learning programs...
. Once he appeared interested in filmmaking, his parents asked him to get formal education in it. Subsequently, he applied to enroll in one of the courses at the Pune
Pune
Pune , is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula ...
-based Film and Television Institute of India
Film and Television Institute of India
Film and Television Institute of India , is an autonomous Institute under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Govt. of India. It is fully aided by Central Government of India. It is situated in the premises of the erstwhile Prabhat Film Company in Pune, India...
; however, his application was rejected. In the meanwhile, he was the writer and associate director for Mahandhra, a socio-cultural, economic and political study of the erstwhile state of Andhra
History of Andhra Pradesh
The recorded history of Andhra Pradesh can be traced to the Andhra Kingdom of the Iron Age Maha-Janapada period, succeeded by the Satavahana Empire. Most of these accounts of Andhra people seem to be linked the arrival of a sage called Vishwamitra to the banks of Krishna-Godavari...
. This study, made in a documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
-drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
format for Doordarshan
DoorDarshan
Doordarshan is an Indian public service broadcaster, a division of Prasar Bharati. It is one of the largest broadcasting organizations in India in terms of the infrastructure of studios and transmitters. Recently, it has also started Digital Terrestrial Transmitters. On September 15, 2009,...
, was performed in commemoration of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
's 50th year of independence. He sent creative samples from this study to Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
-based York University
York University
York University is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's third-largest university, Ontario's second-largest graduate school, and Canada's leading interdisciplinary university....
. This helped him join and complete Master of Fine Arts
Master of Fine Arts
A Master of Fine Arts is a graduate degree typically requiring 2–3 years of postgraduate study beyond the bachelor's degree , although the term of study will vary by country or by university. The MFA is usually awarded in visual arts, creative writing, filmmaking, dance, or theatre/performing arts...
in Film and Television during 1998−2000. Even though he registered to continue for his Doctoral degree in Communication and Culture, he discontinued it after a year and returned to Hyderabad in 2001.
Foray into films
Though his first feature filmFeature film
In the film industry, a feature film is a film production made for initial distribution in theaters and being the main attraction of the screening, rather than a short film screened before it; a full length movie...
Grahanam
Grahanam
Grahanam is a 2004 Telugu film directed by Indraganti Mohan Krishna. The film is based on the Novel and Story written by Gudipati Venkatachalam. The film won many critical acclaims and National and Andhra Pradesh state awards.-Cast:* Tanikella Bharani ... Swamy* Jayalalitha ... Saradamba*...
was first drafted in 1997, his amateurish skills is constructing the screenplay didn't help much at that time. This draft was based on Doshagunam, a short story written by Gudipati Venkatachalam
Gudipati Venkatachalam
Gudipati Venkatachalam aka Chalam , a Telugu writer and philosopher, was one of the most influential personalities in the modern Telugu literature...
(popularly known as Chalam), a yesteryear and a controversial Telugu
Telugu language
Telugu is a Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, where it is an official language. It is also spoken in the neighbouring states of Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu...
writer and philosopher. Since screenplay writing was his specialization in his Master of Fine Arts course at York University, he reworked on the script by the time he returned to Hyderabad.
To bring this script to cinema, he approached several producers to help him finance it. Even though all of them were fascinated by his story, they were hesitant about its commercial viability. After three years of futile search and despair, Indraganti decided to produce the film with his own money. Chalam's daughter gave him permission to make a film from one of her father's literary works. When veteran Telugu cinema
Telugu cinema
The Cinema of Andhra Pradesh, also referred to as Telugu Cinema or Tollywood, is the Telugu film industry in India. The Telugu language film industry is known for being one of the three largest in terms of no.of films produced yearly in India. The Prasads IMAX theatre in Hyderabad is one of the...
actor Tanikella Bharani
Tanikella Bharani
Tanikella Bharani is a critically acclaimed, multi-faceted actor from Tollywood and a writer. He is a playwrighter, a dialogue writer, screen writer, poet, magazine editor, an actor and a director...
was approached with a promising role in the film and a request for enacting without any compensation, he agreed to do so. Out of goodwill, he introduced Indraganti to one of his producer friends who agreed to produce the movie. His debut film fetched him 11 awards with the prominent ones being the National Film Award
Indira Gandhi Award for Best First Film of a Director
The Indira Gandhi Award for Best First Film of a Director is a National Film Award - Golden Lotus Award, given to a feature film director's first film.The National Film Award - Indira Gandhi Award for Best First Film of a Director winners:...
, Nandi Award
Nandi Award for Best Debut Director
The Nandi Award for Best Debut Director winners:...
bestowed by Government of Andhra Pradesh
Government of Andhra Pradesh
Government of Andhra Pradesh is the government for the state of Andhra Pradesh in South India.It is an elected government with 294 MLAs elected to the legislative assembly for a 5 year term.-Executive:...
and Gollapudi Srinivas Memorial Award.
In 2006
2006 in film
- Highest-grossing films :Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top-grossing films that were first released in the United States in 2006...
, his second directorial venture was Mayabazaar that featured Bhumika Chawla
Bhumika Chawla
Bhumika Chawla is an Indian actress. She made her film debut in the Telugu film Yuvakudu and has since then worked in various Indian film industries and appeared in over thirty films in Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, Bhojpuri, Punjabi and Malayalam...
and Raja
Raja (actor)
Raja Abel is a Telugu film actor. He played the lead role in the Telugu movieAnand, which won 7 Nandi Awards in 2004.-Early life & Family:...
in the leading roles. After a gap of two years, his next film Ashta Chamma
Ashta Chamma
Ashta Chamma is a critically acclaimed 2008 Indian comedy film written and directed by Mohan Krishna Indraganti. Filmed in Telugu, the film deals with four quirky characters interwoven in a romantic narration. The film stars Colours Swathi, Nani, Srinivas Avasarala and Bhargavi in the lead with...
, which featured Colours Swathi
Colours Swathi
Swati Reddy , also known as Colours Swathi, is an Indian film actress and television presenter. Her nickname and fame come from her role in the television show Colours, which was telecasted on the Telugu station Maa TV in Andhra Pradesh...
and Nani, Srinivas Avasarala
Srinivas Avasarala
Srinivas Avasarala is a script-writer, director and actor.-Career:Srinivas Avasarala is a telugu actor and an aspiring director. He starred in the film Ashta Chamma, a Telugu adaptation of Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest. His portrayal of Anand, Algernon in the original play, won him...
and Bhargavi as a quirky group of friends, was released in 2008
2008 in film
This is a list of all major films made in 2008.-Highest-grossing films:Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top grossing films that were first released in the USA in 2008...
.
Awards
National Film Award- Indira Gandhi Award for Best First Film of a DirectorIndira Gandhi Award for Best First Film of a DirectorThe Indira Gandhi Award for Best First Film of a Director is a National Film Award - Golden Lotus Award, given to a feature film director's first film.The National Film Award - Indira Gandhi Award for Best First Film of a Director winners:...
- Golden Lotus Award - GrahanamGrahanamGrahanam is a 2004 Telugu film directed by Indraganti Mohan Krishna. The film is based on the Novel and Story written by Gudipati Venkatachalam. The film won many critical acclaims and National and Andhra Pradesh state awards.-Cast:* Tanikella Bharani ... Swamy* Jayalalitha ... Saradamba*...
(2005)
Nandi Awards
Nandi Awards
The Nandi Awards is the most Prominent award ceremony for Telugu films, Telugu Theater & Television, presented annually in Andhra Pradesh, India. "Nandi" means "bull", the awards being named after the big granite bull at Lepakshi — a cultural and historical symbol of Andhra Pradesh.Nandi...
- Nandi Award for Best Debut DirectorNandi Award for Best Debut DirectorThe Nandi Award for Best Debut Director winners:...
- GrahanamGrahanamGrahanam is a 2004 Telugu film directed by Indraganti Mohan Krishna. The film is based on the Novel and Story written by Gudipati Venkatachalam. The film won many critical acclaims and National and Andhra Pradesh state awards.-Cast:* Tanikella Bharani ... Swamy* Jayalalitha ... Saradamba*...
- 2005
- Gollapudi Srinivas AwardGollapudi Srinivas AwardGollapudi Srinivas Award is given to a first-time director in Indian Cinema every year. This Award is given out in the memory of Gollapudi Srinivas . He is the youngest son of Veteran Telugu film personality Gollapudi Maruthi Rao...
- for Best First Film of a Director - 2005 - GrahanamGrahanamGrahanam is a 2004 Telugu film directed by Indraganti Mohan Krishna. The film is based on the Novel and Story written by Gudipati Venkatachalam. The film won many critical acclaims and National and Andhra Pradesh state awards.-Cast:* Tanikella Bharani ... Swamy* Jayalalitha ... Saradamba*...
- 2005
Filmography
Here is a list of movies directed by him.| Year | Movie | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Grahanam Grahanam Grahanam is a 2004 Telugu film directed by Indraganti Mohan Krishna. The film is based on the Novel and Story written by Gudipati Venkatachalam. The film won many critical acclaims and National and Andhra Pradesh state awards.-Cast:* Tanikella Bharani ... Swamy* Jayalalitha ... Saradamba*... |
Award Winning Movie |
| 2006 | Mayabazaar | *ing Bhumika Chawla Bhumika Chawla Bhumika Chawla is an Indian actress. She made her film debut in the Telugu film Yuvakudu and has since then worked in various Indian film industries and appeared in over thirty films in Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, Bhojpuri, Punjabi and Malayalam... and Raja Raja Raja is an Indian term for a monarch, or princely ruler of the Kshatriya varna... |
| 2008 | Ashta Chamma Ashta Chamma Ashta Chamma is a critically acclaimed 2008 Indian comedy film written and directed by Mohan Krishna Indraganti. Filmed in Telugu, the film deals with four quirky characters interwoven in a romantic narration. The film stars Colours Swathi, Nani, Srinivas Avasarala and Bhargavi in the lead with... |
*ing Colours Swathi Colours Swathi Swati Reddy , also known as Colours Swathi, is an Indian film actress and television presenter. Her nickname and fame come from her role in the television show Colours, which was telecasted on the Telugu station Maa TV in Andhra Pradesh... and Nani Nani (actor) Nani is an Indian film actor who mainly stars in Telugu films. After his education, he became an assistant director, he worked with Seenu Vylta and Bapu garu before working as a RJ for World Space Satellite in Hyderabad. He got an opportunity to act in an advertisement when he was offered the film... , Srinivas Avasarala Srinivas Avasarala Srinivas Avasarala is a script-writer, director and actor.-Career:Srinivas Avasarala is a telugu actor and an aspiring director. He starred in the film Ashta Chamma, a Telugu adaptation of Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest. His portrayal of Anand, Algernon in the original play, won him... and Bhargavi |
| 2011 | Golconda High School | *ing Colours Swathi Colours Swathi Swati Reddy , also known as Colours Swathi, is an Indian film actress and television presenter. Her nickname and fame come from her role in the television show Colours, which was telecasted on the Telugu station Maa TV in Andhra Pradesh... and Sumanth Sumanth Sumanth is a Telugu film actor. He is the nephew of actor Akkineni Nagarjuna and grandson of actor Akkineni Nageswara Rao. He is also a partner in Annapurna Studios, a prominent film studio/production house that was established in 1975 by his grandfather.... |