Mar 12, 2026 9:30am IST
‘Sukumar Sir Is My Guardian Angel’: ‘Pushpa’ Screenwriter Hussain Sha Kiran on How His Mentor Guided Him for His Directorial ‘Mrithyunjay’ (EXCLUSIVE)
Screenwriter and director Hussain Sha Kiran’s recent film “Mrithyunjay” has opened to positive reviews. The ‘open thriller’ stars Sree Vishnu and Reba Monica John in the lead roles. Speaking to Variety India about how he conceived the film, Kiran said, “A friend once told me about a job where a person collects obituary ads from house to house. I found it fascinating and began building a character around it. Then the idea evolved into a thriller where the man starts investigating two seemingly accidental deaths in the city. Slowly, he gets drawn into a larger world of crime.”
When the teaser released, some viewers drew comparisons with the cult thriller “Ratsasan.” Kiran, however, disagrees. “That film is essentially a whodunnit. Mrithyunjay is an open thriller where the audience knows both the hero and the villain from the start. It is more about the modus operandi.”
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While the film opened to strong reviews and saw growth on day two, according to box office tracker Sacnilk, the filmmaker believes the timing of the release worked against it. “It is exam season and the finals of the T20 World Cup were also happening. We lost some momentum both in India and overseas. Also, two films of Sree Vishnu released almost around the same time. On the positive side, there are no major releases until March 19, so we hope to reach our desired numbers as word of mouth is strong,” he said.
In recent months, several mid-budget Telugu films have performed well at the box office. Kiran attributes this to audiences prioritizing storytelling. “Telugu audiences love a good story. Every actor has their own niche and audience. If the talk around a film is good, people will definitely come to watch it,” he added.
Kiran has worked with Sukumar on several films as a screenwriter and credits the filmmaker for shaping his craft. “I have learnt a lot from him. My writing has become richer and my screenplays stronger. I owe a lot to him for what I have written so far and what I will present in the future,” he said.
Recalling Sukumar’s involvement in Mrithyunjay, Kiran added, “Once everyone was happy with the final script, I took it to Sukumar Sir with the producer’s permission. He loved the narration. There are a couple of key scenes in the film where he gave valuable suggestions. He even watched the edited cut. I would say he is my guardian angel.”
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