I am ambitious: E Niwas

In town recently with the cast of his upcoming movie ahead of it's release, E Niwas looks like the regular Hyderabadi you would meet on the street or at the shopping mall.And while the flashbulbs went on a burst mode for the actors of his movie, namely Amrita Rao and debutante Nikhil Dwivedi, he was caught only towards the edge of the frame. It was only after a few people pointed out who he was, did any cameras get aimed at him! But, in conversation with this soft-spoken director, we found the otherwise reticent guy talking freely once you broach the topic of films.
Excerpts from an interview:
You started your career working under Ram Gopal Varma. Now, you are a director who's bagged a national award ( Shool won Best Feature Film in Hindi). Tell us about the struggle and the influence of RGV.

Well, RGV is my mentor. He's the only director I've ever worked with and I learnt the basics of filmmaking from him. I discuss my story ideas with him, and his influence is there in all my movies. When I started, I was the 12th assistant to RGV. From there, the journey has been quite fantastic, to directing Shool , which won the national award, and then directing other movies thereon.
Writing scripts or directing movies, which do you enjoy more and find more challenging?

I don't usually write the scripts myself. I work closely with the person who writes. That's because, while the story idea is mine and I determine the course of the story, I can't think in one language. I think, sometime in Telugu, sometime in Hindi and sometime in English! As far as challenges are concerned, I am ambitious and things work out right for me when the focus is right and I know just where I'm going with the film.
What are the risks or advantages of casting a fresh face in a movie?

The latest Nikhil-Amrita Rao starrer is close to my heart, as besides directing, I am producing a movie for the first time. When the script for the movie was ready, I was convinced I wanted a fresh face, one who doesn't have any image to carry with him. It was then I remembered Nikhil. The screen test for him was a piece from Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, with Mark Anthony's lines adapted to Mumbaiya language. And Nikhil was quite fabulous. As far as picking an actor is concerned, I always go by the script.
As a director, do you worry much about public opinion?

Yes. Public opinion matters greatly, and I draw a lot from their judgment. If they reject my film, I will sit down and think about it, and try and analyse what the didn't like. And if they like it, then there's nothing better than that and I'm the happiest person!
You're from Hyderabad. Have you considered working in Tollywood?

Sincerely, yes! I want to make a Tollywood film for my parents and friends. In spite of the success I've got in Bollywood, my parents keep asking me why I don't make films in Telugu. Besides, with movies like Anasuya and Mantra , I strongly feel Telugu cinema changing for the better and I want to be a part of that phenomenon.