Meet Sekhar Kammula, Telugu director who became a star without chasing stars

India Today

19-06-2025

When a film works, the credit goes to everyone, but when it fails, the blame falls squarely on the director. That's how pivotal a filmmaker is to the fate of a movie. Now imagine a director operating in an industry driven by larger-than-life cinema, where success is measured by the number of star collaborations and box office, and experiments are few and far between. In the midst of all this, one man chooses to walk his own path quietly, confidently.advertisementMeet Sekhar Kammula, the director of the Sai Pallavi-starrer 'Fidaa', who is now returning with 'Kuberaa', featuring Dhanush and Nagarjuna. As he completes 25 years in Telugu cinema, it's worth asking: What makes Sekhar Kammula special? And how did he become a star director without chasing stars?DO YOU HAVE A STORY TO TELL?In a recent interview with Galatta Plus, Aamir Khan said something that perfectly echoes Sekhar Kammula's approach. 'One of the qualities I look for in a director is, do you have a story to tell? Is there a story inside you that's bubbling to come out? Because when someone has a story they're dying to tell, the intensity and energy with which they tell it is completely different from someone who's telling a story just because they were asked to.' When you look at Kammula's body of work, you see exactly that. His stories feel personal, heartfelt, and necessary.advertisement
Take 'Anand' (2004), where Roopa walks away from her own wedding because her individuality isn't respected. Or 'Godavari' (2006), where Sita, a strong-headed designer, chooses to travel alone to process her failures. These stories aren't constructed for effect; they are born out of a genuine urge to say something honest. Even 'Leader' (2010), his political drama, is driven less by plot twists and more by deep moral questioning - what happens when an idealist chooses to step into a corrupt system?Even 'Happy Days' (2007), a campus drama, stood out not for inventing a new genre but for how refreshingly honest and relatable it was. It was the first time college life, with all its chaos, friendships, heartbreaks and life lessons that was shown with such warmth and realism. In fact, the film's popularity influenced many students to pursue engineering, and that tells you something about the cultural imprint of his work. Kammula's storytelling is never performative. It stems from a place of deep conviction that a good story told with honesty can create magic, even without cinematic bombast.Content is the kingIn Sekhar Kammula's universe, the story is always the hero. His casting choices consistently favour suitability over stardom. From 'Dollar Dreams' to 'Fidaa', his leads have rarely been stars when cast. Even 'Love Story', which featured Naga Chaitanya and Sai Pallavi, made a conscious effort not to tailor the film around their popularity. Instead, the focus was on two individuals navigating love and trauma in a socially stratified world.advertisementLook closely at his filmography, and the pattern becomes clear. 'Dollar Dreams' won the National Award for Best Debut Film and featured no recognisable faces. 'Anand' made Raja and Kamalinee Mukherjee overnight sensations, but only after the film succeeded. The actors are chosen for the world they belong to, not to draw crowds.Even when he introduced someone like Rana Daggubati in 'Leader', it wasn't to launch a star with a mass vehicle. The film is a layered political drama where the protagonist spends more time confronting systemic corruption than delivering punchy dialogue. Similarly, 'Fidaa's' Varun is no swashbuckling hero. He spends most of the film losing love until he learns to understand it. This approach is significant because the pressure to bend the script to suit heroes, adding elevation scenes, redundant fights, and mass moments is intense in Telugu cinema. But Kammula has resisted that temptation at every turn.advertisementWhich is why 'Kuberaa' is such a point of curiosity. It's the first time he's directed bonafide stars like Dhanush and Nagarjuna. But early glimpses suggest that the story remains intact. It looks like the stars are in service of the narrative, not the other way around. If anything, this might be the clearest example of Kammula's confidence in his material, that he can have a star-studded cast and still keep the story as the nucleus.Freshness in ideas and presentationKammula's stories often feel like gentle revolutions. They aren't loud, but they disrupt norms all the same. He entered the industry in the early 2000s, a time when Telugu cinema was largely dominated by action entertainers and formula films. Yet, he chose to talk about self-respecting women, emotionally vulnerable men, and the quiet dignity of everyday life.His female characters are consistently nuanced and central to the narrative. 'Anand's' Roopa is strong and self-reliant, unafraid to walk out of a life she doesn't agree with. 'Godavari's' Sita is independent and career-minded, not just a romantic interest. 'Fidaa's' Bhanumathi challenges the stereotype of the demure village girl by being outspoken and proud of her roots. These women are never accessories; they shape the story.advertisement Kammula has even reflected on this himself. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, he said: 'Very subtly I made these films, which might be female-centric films or that kind of that, but I slowly realised that I am telling the story of the oppressed or marginalised.' This explains the emotional authenticity that runs through his filmography.But his male leads are no less important. In fact, one of Sekhar Kammula's most understated strengths is how he writes male characters who aren't shackled by toxic masculinity. Anand, Ram, Varun - they are sensitive, respectful, emotionally intelligent men who give space to the women in their lives. Varun giving up his American dream in 'Fidaa' isn't a plot twist, it's the culmination of emotional growth. Ram in 'Godavari' letting Chinna win the treasure hunt is another example of quiet heroism.Then there's his world-building. 'Godavari' unfolds on a boat ride to Bhadrachalam - an unusual, almost whimsical choice that enriches the narrative. 'Happy Days' captures the college experience with such detail that it feels like you're living it again. Every character, from Pullamma to Chinna in 'Godavari', or even side characters like Shankar in 'Happy Days', adds flavour to the world.advertisementThese aren't just aesthetic choices. They create texture, a sense of lived-in reality that makes Kammula's cinema feel immersive and immediate.A stubborn filmmakerAt the 'Kuberaa' pre-release event, director SS Rajamouli described Kammula as "stubborn". He meant it as a compliment and rightly so. In an industry that often demands compromise, Sekhar Kammula has stayed fiercely true to his principles.He has made only 10 films in 25 years. Not because of lack of opportunity, but because he believes in waiting for the right story. In his own words, he needs a story to compel him. He doesn't chase release dates, stars, or trends. He waits until he has something worth saying.Despite this measured pace, he's not some niche art-house filmmaker. 'Anand', 'Godavari', 'Happy Days', 'Fidaa' - these were all commercial hits. 'Happy Days' became a cultural moment, 'Fidaa' brought Telangana dialect into mainstream romance, and 'Leader' sparked real-world debates about youth in politics.
And he hasn't allowed industry politics or peer pressure to change him. Kammula still lives in a modest colony. He credits his lifestyle for keeping him grounded. He says it allows him to stay close to the emotions and realities of his audience. In a world obsessed with optics and fame, this is a quiet but radical stance. His stubbornness isn't defiance. It's clarity. It's knowing exactly why he makes films and what he wants them to say. In a cinematic landscape driven by formula and fandom, Sekhar Kammula offers something rare: consistency without compromise. He has built a career not on loud successes but on quiet truths. With 'Kuberaa', he may finally be playing with stars, but the core remains unchanged. The story comes first. And perhaps that is his greatest strength, to remind us that even in the noisiest of industries, the softest voice can still be heard, if it speaks with honesty.