“Samantha and Nandini Reddy Inspired Me to Bring Impure to Theaters”: Varahi
Varahi Mallipamula is making her debut as a producer, actor and writer with Impure, a film that has a deeply personal story behind its making. The project was started with money her mother had saved for a family wedding.
Varahi says her mother had watched her work hard for years, trying different paths in cinema, stand-up and theatre. Although several film projects came close to happening, none materialised. Eventually, her mother offered her the money she had saved for her sister’s wedding and suggested that Varahi use it to make a film.
“I accepted the offer, but the money wasn’t enough to make the entire movie. We borrowed more money, and I travelled from New York to India to put together the cast and crew,” she says.
Born in Kakinada and raised in Pennsylvania, Varahi currently lives in New York. She studied Engineering and Journalism at Penn State and worked in the tech industry in cities including New York, Los Angeles and London. Despite her professional career, filmmaking remained her passion. She wrote the first version of Impure nearly six years ago while balancing her job with writing during nights and weekends.
Impure tells the story of a woman whose wedding is called off after her future in-laws discover that she is not a virgin. Varahi wanted to explore the social pressure and double standards surrounding women through the story.
She also made it a point to cast a Telugu woman, Yasha Muthuluri, in the lead role.
According to Varahi, women-centric stories are still difficult to convince producers about. She says the success and support received by films involving women filmmakers and strong female characters inspired her to take the independent route.
“Samantha and Nandini Reddy showed that a woman-centric story can reach audiences across the world. Their work gave me the confidence to take Impure directly to theaters through self-distribution,” Varahi says.
For her directorial team, Varahi chose Nishanthi Evani, who has worked on films including LBW and Nandini Reddy’s Maa Inti Bangaram. Nishanthi is now making her directorial debut with Impure.
The film’s music also has an international touch. Grammy-nominated artists Raja Kumari and Karan Pandav have worked on the songs. Varahi is particularly hopeful about the “OMG” song and its hook step connecting with audiences.
Cinematographer Gnanasekhar VS has captured Telugu locations in an artistic way, adding to the film’s visual appeal.
Varahi hopes audiences will support Impure as an independent film that explores a different side of society.
“I request audiences to give our indie film a chance. Instead of another story filled with violence, Impure looks at the problems faced by both women and men from a different perspective. Sai Krishna has done a wonderful job as an aspiring actor, and I hope audiences enjoy the film,” she says.
Impure premiered at the iconic TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles and later had its East Coast premiere at Cinema Village in New York. The film received appreciation from audiences who were surprised by the scale and production quality achieved by a debut team.
The film is set for a limited theatrical release across India on October 2.
Varahi adds, “I hope Indian audiences welcome Impure with the same warmth they showed towards Maa Inti Bangaram.”
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