Lockdown idea turns a YouTube hit
The 22-minute short-film 'Forever Maybe' is being praised for its crisp storyline and narration with just two characters, says actor Kalpika
Some stories are as good as a gentle breeze. Only silence, in the end, makes you weep. Telugu short-film, Forever Maybe tells one such breezy tale of love, separation and melancholy. Trisha and Arjun find no common opinions when they first meet after Tinder conversation. And the date turns inseparable. However, they had to recreate their first date once in a year only longing to reunite post-separation.
“It is very relatable to the current generation who take quick decisions on marriages, being together, relationships. They trip and move away, take a break, realise something and again get back. Probably, the subject made everyone hooked. That’s why we are being flooded with so much positive feedback,” says Kalpika Ganesh who played Trisha.
Brains behind the idea
Lockdown has made many to explore different storylines. And the lonely days gave an idea to Nikhil Nadella and his friend Sankalp Gora, who worked as assistant directors for Saaho, to come up with a quick short-film with an interesting theme. The 22-minute film Forever Maybe is now an instant hit on YouTube with more than one lakh views in just four days of its release.
“Since we have location restriction during those days, it can be one character or two. Both ensured the conversation is on point not drifting away from the subject. Just 20 minutes, two characters driving the whole point,” says Kalpika adding that all of them were badly wanting to get back to work in some or the other way.
“We didn’t know how to execute it. We shot during night time, ended up shooting three-and-a-half days. It’s exciting for me because all the roles that I’ve been doing until now were different. I didn’t have second thoughts about playing a cute, sensible and matured girl. And I don’t see short-films and full-length flicks differently. Nikhil also wondered why directors haven’t explored me enough yet. He said this is the genre that I would pull off with ease for sure,” she added.
Most elements in the screenplay had a dual nature, says the actor. “The dialogues were no exception. It is supposed to be a short story but I have asked Nikhil multiple times ‘I am assuming it is short for now’. Forever Maybe is not based on a real incident; it is completely a fictional story,” says Kalpika who came to limelight recently with her role as Ruby in the web series Loser.
Behind the camera
From her debut film Prayanam, Kalpika went on to act in Seethamma Vakitlo Sirimalle Chettu, Julayi, Padi Padi Leche Manasu, Sreerama Rajyam, Namo Venkatesha, My Dear Marthandam, among others. “The actor inside me was not satisfied with the routine things, so I wanted to have a break. Listen to interesting things. Meanwhile, I have been part of new projects and short-films. I even directed a five-minute micro-short-film called Perfect Coffee. Director Prashanth Varma helped me explore more behind camera, as I have assisted him for six commercials,” she says.
“The web series Ekkadiki Parugu for Zee5 and the subsequent lockdown have changed my opinion on how the OTT is being perceived. And Loser has got me more appreciation than ever,” adds Kalpika who is currently working on the Tamil movie Parole and looking forward to the release of Sita On The Road, which discusses women’s rights. “I play a choreographer in the movie representing the urban lifestyle,” she concludes.
Now you can get handpicked stories from Telangana Today on Telegram everyday. Click the link to subscribe.
Click to follow Telangana Today Facebook page and Twitter .
