Vennelakanti is a name that is almost synonymous with dubbing films. Now it is the turn of Sashank Vennelakanti, son of Vennelakanti, to realize his dreams. He already worked in dialogs and songs for films including Manmadha, Ghajani, Pandemkodi. In addition, he even gave his voice to Simbhu. However, the youngster says his focus is on direction. Here is a quick catching up with Sashank Vennalakanti on his birthday (26th June).

Happy Birthday, Sashank
Thank you very much.

So tell us what are you up to?
Well! Career started with the film Manmadha. I worked for more than 40 films till date. Manmadha, Ghajani and Pandem Kodi happened back-to-back. And that would have played a role on the flow of offers.

How did you enter the industry
Fact is that I never wanted to enter into this profession. Manmadha producer Krishnaprasad wanted me to pen the dialogs and it continued from then on. My dream is to become a director. I have a degree in Visual Communications. I worked for Kamal Hasan’s Pothu Raju and Mumbai Express as assistant director.

To work for dubbed films, you not only need fluency but also grip on the literature. What do you say?
Yes. It is a wrong perception that if you have fluency in the language, you could do the dubbing work. You need good command on the literature too. My bringing up and hence education was all in Chennai. But I have a fascination towards Telugu literature. Probably that is what helped me now. While doing the translation for movies, you need to look at two aspects. One is lip syncing and the second one is flow. There should not be any break with these two. The aim is that the audience should feel it as a straight film rather than a dubbing one. And also the translation would also impact the feel in the scenes. So, all these factors should be handled with care to make sure that the output is effective.

How close are you in achieving your dream? Directing a film?
90% probability is that I might direct a film this year itself. I already have offers but I felt that I should take the plunge only when I am ready.

what kind of influence does your father show on you
There is good amount of influence. I am inclined towards literature because of him. He was always there to clear my doubts. There is always a constructive discussion going on between us.

Is your inclination towards literature limited to reading or are you into writing too?
I am presently working on writing a book. The book is about flow of thoughts. Inspiration for this comes from Chalam’s musings. This book will be published soon.

Do you agree with the statement that dubbing films are hurting the industry
I don’t think so. Barring from the fact that they are not filming here, even dubbing films are generating revenue for the industry.
You already established your presence in translations. How come you are not doing any for straight Telugu films
I am busy with the present work. I am presently working for Kathanayakudu with scenes and sequences. There are more Telugu films in pipeline.

Sashank, we wish you all the best in realizing your dreams. We wish you a very very happy birthday.
Thank you very much.