He was born in the Tirumalgherry area of Secunderabad and has fond memories of Telangana, its vibrant people, the dialect and the food.
Addressing the media on the sidelines of the screening of his film Charandas Chor at the 17th International Children Film Festival on Saturday, he said that his earlier his films like “Ankur,”Mandi” and the latest “Well Done Abba” were inspired by the magical thoughts of the Deccan that he nurtured from his childhood memories.
“I have special feelings for Telangana. If I get another story on Telangana that impresses me I will make a movie again,” the veteran director said cautioning that he is not making a political statement.
Quoting Jawaharlal Nehru, Benegal said Hyderabad represents all most all the faiths and languages spoken in India and that one should emulate the Hyderabadi culture. Explaining his reasons for not taking up new ventures in Telugu after “Anugraham,” a Vanisri and Rao Gopalrao starrer, he said that he never liked “manufactured performances’’ which were a current trend in Tollywood.
“I insist that all my actors speak the language in which, my film is made. Many of the present actors in the Telugu industry require dubbing,” he said.
He called for a larger and separate fund to encourage films for children.
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