Exclusive! Director Karri Balaji: Back Door is an ode to the many sacrifices of a homemaker

Back Door, starring Purnaa, Teja Tripurana in the lead roles, is slated to release on December 25 and marks the directorial debut of Karri Balaji. The filmmaker is not new to the industry, having assisted noted director Dhavala Satyam in the past besides dabbling with the small screen across various departments. Balaji, being a short story writer and an avid reader in his teens, always had a knack for storytelling but it was his patience and dogged conviction for over two decades that has helped him land his first film Back Door. In conversation with OTTplay.com, Karri Balaji takes us through his eventful journey.

Give us a sneak-peek into your life before Back Door materialised...

It's been two decades since I've entered the industry. I hail from Kothavalasa in Vizianagaram and completed my education in Vizag. After finishing my graduation, I was keen on making a career in films. Over these years, I worked in various levels of filmmaking, from being an assistant director, associate director to co-director and a second unit director. My first brush with direction was for a popular television programme called Neralu Ghoralu on ETV2. I later went on to do one-hour films for ETV and was an episode director for DD's show Putharekulu. After working for television channels like Vissa, Mahaa News, I got an opportunity to direct my first feature film Back Door.

What fascinated you about films?

I don't know if I was fascinated by films but I remember contributing a lot of short stories to magazines during my teenage years. I wrote my first short story for a vernacular paper called Leader. I was always into the habit of reading novels and was a bookworm of sorts. I remember enthusiastically looking forward to magazines like Swathi week after week. The interest to read/write stories gradually paved a path for a career as a storyteller in the visual medium too. 

Did you see television as a path that'll make it easier for you to direct a feature film?

The direction opportunity for television knocked on my door when I was already neck-deep into films. I had directed a few films as a ghost director too and noticing my abilities, I got a chance to work for the small-screen and did several short films, telefilms. I even earned a Nandi award for a short film titled Bandh. Short films may be nothing new today but 15 years ago, hardly anyone knew about them. The digital world hadn't grown so big then. Even as filmmakers, we could only exchange DVDs of our shorts among ourselves and didn't have the right environment to showcase our work to crowds.

Any director(s) who triggered the filmmaker in you? How did you understand the tricks of the trade?

I was a big fan of director T Krishna and wanted to assist someone who took up similar hard-hitting subjects. I was introduced to Dhavala Satyam and was eager to make films on the lines of Erra Mallelu, Nenu Saitham and Ee Tharam Kadilindi. I had to wait over three years to work under him. I assisted him for over seven years and understood the various intricacies of filmmaking in my stint. 

In particular, I would say that an animation film, Lava Kusa: The Warrior Twins, that we worked on, was a huge learning curve. It was a complete contrast to what we usually did on sets and could take nothing for granted. We had to take care of everything from scratch - from the storyboard to the costumes to their histrionics to the colours and the props in every frame. It helped me gain good command over the craft.

How did Back Door happen?

The COVID-19 lockdown proved to be a blessing in disguise and it gave me ample time to watch a whole lot of movies and web shows across languages. I wanted to make an unconventional film that'll help me stand out among the rest. My primary intent was to tell a story with a good message and package it in an entertaining exterior. 

Back Door has a very interesting point and is a sharp commentary on several issues within our society. We always ignore the sacrifices made by a housewife and forget that she too has an identity of her own. Not a day goes by when we don't hear about crimes related to extramarital affairs in newspapers. What if a housewife finds herself in the middle of such a crime scene? Why do such crimes happen? Who is at fault? This is the crux of the film. The story revolves around a couple that's married for over 15-20 years. 

Was Purnaa your first choice for the film?

Yes, Purnaa looks exactly like a Telugu girl and is a good performer whose credentials need no introduction. She was our only choice to play a housewife and we were all the more convinced with our decision after the look test and audition. Back Door is her career-best performance and audiences are sure to see a new side to Purnaa as an actress. If you liked her performance in Akhanda, her performance in Back Door will surprise you even more. I am quite confident that Purnaa will earn many laurels and acclaim with Back Door.

Did you make Back Door with only two characters owing to the lockdown restrictions?

We intentionally chose a story that deals with limited characters. We wanted the film to focus primarily on the housewife and not distract the audiences from the core plot with too many characters. We purposely cast a newcomer like Teja Tripurana because we didn't want any actor with baggage or a pre-set image to tinker with the plot. The story had to be the hero.

We made the film with a limited crew amid a lot of restrictions due to COVID-19. I didn't find the atmosphere any different from a regular film but for the fact that every one of us had to take up more responsibilities and roles to complete the shoot as per plan. Producer B Srinivasa Rao agreed to do the film in a bid to provide more work to people in the industry amid such tough circumstances. It was a warm gesture on his part to back Back Door.

Wasn't Anjali's Ananda Bhairavi supposed to be your directorial debut?

Apart from Anjali, Ananda Bhairavi also features prominent names like Rai Laxmi, Arun Adith, Sai Kumar, Murali Sharma and Raasi. Just as we were entering our final schedule, the 19 lockdown was announced. Being an action film made on a huge canvas, it wasn't practical for us to shoot it amid restrictions. Moreover, the project required over 200 members on the set every day. I wanted to finish a small film during the delay and made Back Door. We'll finish Ananda Bhairavi in December and release it for May 2022. It's a crime drama with a stellar cast, strong characters and has music by Mani Sharma.

20 years is a very long waiting time to direct your first feature film. Was there any worry of not staying abreast with the times?

Every director needs to upgrade himself with time and trends. We're left with no choice. It's a must for us to stay abreast with new technological developments in the industry. I had the advantage of being in the industry when projects were made on 'film' and later adapted to digital technology. The beauty of filmmaking is that there are no rules or formulae. You can make films with iPhone or Android mobiles today. The most important quality a director ought to have is his/her urge to tell a story.

The OTT bandwagon must have been a certain relief for you and the filmmaking fraternity at large...

OTT platforms are a boon for creators, no doubt about it! It's something that has got us filmmakers so excited. Back in our early days, even if we make something, we had to endlessly wait for it to be telecast on major channels. The digital space has eliminated a lot of barriers and has given immense creative freedom for storytellers to tell their stories sans inhibition. It has provided a new direction to the entertainment industry. I am readying a script for a web show. Not all stories are meant for the big screen and the medium has given us a great window to try something new.