Koratala Siva: Jr NTR’s Devara director brought style and class to commercial cinema

Koratala Siva has learnt the ropes of filmmaking the hard way in Telugu cinema, having worked with biggest names in the business like B Gopal, Boyapati Sreenu, Vamshi Paidipally as a story-dialogue writer in the 2000s. Prabhas introduced him as a director with the supremely entertaining Mirchi in 2013, laying a perfect foundation for his ability as a commercially bankable storyteller.

The five-film old filmmaker, who’s currently working on Jr NTR’s Devara, turns 48 today. One may argue that the director, with all his films - Mirchi, Srimanthudu, Bharath Ane Nenu, Acharya and Janatha Garage - hasn’t told any pathbreaking stories. However, his class lies not in the premise of his films but his packaging for a mainstream audience balancing the tight rope between pleasing a star’s fans and not compromising on the storytelling.

Within a restricted scope in commercial cinema, Koratala Siva has brought in an element of style with his aesthetic sense besides a liberal dose of social consciousness, staying true to the conflicts of his characters. He definitely knows a thing or two about seamlessly integrating the song-dance routine into a narrative and has carefully earned fans among all segments of audiences.

While his stories might belong to a tried-and-tested template, the exterior is refreshing and is definitely not a case of old wine in a new bottle. If Prabhas’ ‘veelaithe premiddam dude’ attitude was the highlight of Mirchi, the cycle-rider Mahesh Babu grabbed eyeballs in Srimanthudu. If Jr NTR was the environmentally conscious youngster who got sucked into a world of crime in Janatha Garage, Mahesh Babu was the accessible CM in Bharath Ane Nenu.

In all cases excepting Acharya, he chose familiar stories that audiences would relate with. A filmmaker of his capability too had to bear the brunt of one major flop like Acharya that nearly threatened to derail his career. With his first pan-Indian film Devara and the support of his Janatha Garage star Jr NTR, fans eagerly hope that he would return to form.