RP Patnaik, the actor-director of 'Manalo Okadu', says that his movie questions the egoism and holier-than-thou attitude of media men. As the film gears up for a Nov 4 release, he talks about the subject, etc.

Common people suffer because of media:

Our film questions the media ecosystem. Most of the media men are egoistic. That affects the society negatively. Because of this holier-than-thou attitude, the common man suffers. We have depicted certain real-life incidents. For example, the incident of some media houses claiming that Venu Madhav had died, is referred to. The false reportage affected Venu Madhav a lot, so much so, he met the Governor to say he might be in danger. Such false reporting was also seen in the case of MS Narayana.

The subject:

I am playing a lecturer by name Krishnamurthy. What he lost because of the media and how he fights back, forms the crux. It's not a satirical drama. It's not like I want to act for the sake of it. Only if I feel the character suits me, do I go for that. I have played this character because I felt I look like a commoner. I couldn't have found a better artiste to portray this common man's character.

There was a worry:

I bothered about whether my film will pass through the Censor Board, but never did I worry about the prospect of the media criticising my movie. However, the Censor Board members appreciated me for making a gutsy movie. I recently arranged a preview for a few people I know. They told me, 'So far, you made good movies. This time, you have made a great one.' I am confident that many media representatives will appreciate me after watching 'Manalo Okadu'.

A complete entertainer:

'Manalo Okadu' has all the right ingredients - family emotions, entertainment, sentiment, suspense. Those who liked my 'Broker' will like this movie.

A remake is in the offing:

I have many friends among journalists. I did take their opinions and experiences into consideration while writing this movie. I have been observing the media for some years. Talks are on to remake the movie in Kannada. Sai Kumar has expressed a wish to play my character. It's not decided whether I will direct the remake. Gali Jarnardhan Reddy is going to produce the Kannada version.

Expecting a National Award:

Sunitha has rendered a song for 'Manalo Okadu'. I am expecting a National Award for her. After listening to the song, Balu garu (SPB) too said the same thing.

What next?:

Three stories are ready. I am mooting to make a movie on the medical mafia. I will decide whether to go ahead with the decision after the release of 'Dhruva'. If I get the right story and feel that I should music-direct it, I will definitely do so.