Was skeptical if Trisha will be my 'Brinda' or not: Director Surya Manoj Vangala

'Brinda', the latest sensation in the web series world, stars the talented Trisha Krishnan as the enigmatic titular character. With its premiere on Friday, the series has already generated immense buzz among fans, who can't get enough of Trisha’s captivating performance. However, in a surprising revelation, director Surya Manoj Vangala told Mathrubhumi English that he was initially hesitant about Trisha playing the lead role.

In a free-wheeling conversation, Surya shares his thought process, creative vision, and the journey of bringing 'Brinda' to life, offering a fascinating glimpse into the making of this gripping series.

How does it feel to see the series receiving such a positive response?

Surya Manoj Vangala: It has been almost eight years since I have been working on this series. Earlier, I would think to myself that I would be happy once I finish shooting it. I had the same thought for its release, wherein I was hoping to party after its premiere. However, now that the series is finally out, I feel extremely relaxed and content. It feels as if the burden is off my shoulders.

How many years of hard work and dedication has gone into crafting 'Brinda?'

Surya Manoj Vangala: It has been a very long journey. The story of ‘Brinda’ was conceptualized in my mind somewhere around 2015-16. I spent about four years working on its story. During those years, I might have thought of abandoning the script at least 50 times and moving on to something else. While I was still working on the story, the pressure was mounting on me from my parents and other people. Somehow, I kept coming back to finishing the script.

Later, my producer took me to Sony for the pitch. At that time, my story was 80% ready, yet they bought it with the belief in me that I will finish it and produce a mature story. Next, my screenplay writer Padmavati and my dialogue writer Jaikrishna joined me. When it became a collaborative work of us all, the final script came to life. However, our woes didn’t end there alone.

Once the writing part was over, COVID pandemic hit. The shooting began on October 25, 2021 but soon it was halted due to the third wave. It once again got pushed when Trisha had to shoot for Mani Ratnam’s film. We also faced many technical issues during the course of the shoot. However, after crossing all the hindrances, we were successful in finishing our series.

How did you persevere? Was there ever a moment of doubt?

Surya Manoj Vangala: There were so many times when I thought of giving up. But what always drove me back was the honesty within me with which I started writing the story. It had become a personal story for me, I didn’t know how to move on to another project, without completing what I already had with me.

Can you share the creative process behind crafting Thakur’s character, balancing his childlike innocence with his ruthless killer instinct?

Surya Manoj Vangala: I had a back story of what Thakur’s character had gone through in his past. I was certain that I had to sympathize with his character, while also maintaining the wildness in him as the murder. The character sketch was ready but it was my dialogue writer who helped me enhance his character, blending vulnerability and brutality.

Anand Sami (who played Thakur) is a genius. Every actor has his/her own process, and so does he. He would reach at least 30 minutes before the crew would arrive at the sets. The filming with her was also to be done within two days, but she shot it in a day since she had to leave for another shoot the next day.

Looking back, what moments from the shoot stand out to you as particularly special?

Surya Manoj Vangala: My favourite scene from the series is when Raghu and young Satya are sitting at the court, with Satya saying how he is afraid to step out in the world for all the bad that exists there, and Raghu asks him to focus on the good within him.

Other than this, the first day when Trisha came on the sets, I was skeptical if she will be my Brinda or not. Honestly, I had not written Brinda’s character keeping Trisha in mind. I had purely written it as a character. But when she performed the opening scene where she wakes up from her sleep, sits on the bed, and eats the medicine, I was convinced that the role is written for her.

After 'Brinda', what’s the next story you are eager to tell?

Surya Manoj Vangala: I have finished writing another script. I can't reveal much details of it at the moment, but the script is on the verge of getting finalized. It is going to be much bigger than 'Brinda'. It is a script for a feature film, and of a different genre.