Filmmaker P. Suneel Kumar Reddy on ‘Cockroach’, his new film about crime, compassion and society’s selective empathy, releasing today (Friday)
Filmmaker P. Suneel Kumar Reddy has rarely taken the familiar road. From ‘Sontha Ooru’ to ‘Gangaputrulu’, from ‘Gulf’ to ‘Valasa’, his cinema has consistently turned its gaze toward lives that rarely appear in the mainstream frame.
His latest film, ‘Cockroach’, continues that tradition – though perhaps in his most unsettling way yet. The film revolves around an unlikely love story between a street sex worker and a man entangled in crime, set against the rough edges of urban survival.
In this telephonic conversation, the director speaks about his journey from journalism to filmmaking, the social realities that shape his stories, and why ‘Cockroach’ is less about crime and more about society’s selective empathy.
Your films often focus on people living at the margins of society. What draws you to these stories?
My journey into cinema actually began with journalism. As a journalist, I had the opportunity to observe society very closely. I met many people whose stories never reach the mainstream narrative. Those lives stayed with me.
When I entered filmmaking, I felt cinema should not only entertain but also document realities that many people are unaware of.
Mainstream stories are already being told repeatedly. But the lives of fishermen, migrant workers or socially stigmatised communities rarely find representation. My films are an attempt to bring those unheard voices to the screen.
Your new film deals with a rather unusual love story. Why choose such a dark and unconventional subject instead of a routine commercial narrative?
Routine stories are safe. They are predictable. But they rarely challenge the audience. While researching crime cases and interacting with the police department, I came across several real-life incidents in areas like Gajuwaka in Visakhapatnam.
What struck me was not the crime itself, but the lives behind those labels – criminals, contract killers, street sex workers.
Society quickly categorises them as ‘bad people’. But when you study their lives closely, you discover complex emotions, relationships and even love. That paradox fascinated me.
Cockroach explores the relationship between a street sex worker and a man involved in crime. Their world is harsh, morally grey and filled with violence, yet they experience emotions that are deeply human.
The film is not about glorifying crime. It questions how society decides who deserves dignity and empathy.
The title ‘Cockroach’ itself is striking. What does it represent?
The title reflects the way society treats certain people. When we see a cockroach, our instinct is to crush it. Nobody questions that reaction. But when we see a butterfly, we admire it. Both are living beings.
Similarly, society decides which lives deserve sympathy and which lives can be discarded. Some people are treated like butterflies, others like cockroaches. The film tries to explore that uncomfortable truth.
Your films such as ‘Sontha Ooru’, ‘Gangaputrulu’, ‘Gulf’ and ‘Valasa’ all dealt with strong social themes. Is this a conscious choice?
Yes, very consciously. Each of those films addressed a different social reality – fishermen communities, migration to the Gulf, displacement, and the struggles of rural India. These are issues that affect millions of people but are rarely explored in mainstream cinema.
I believe cinema can start conversations. Even if a film reaches a limited audience, if it makes people think differently about a section of society, it has achieved something meaningful.
The film is described as a ‘violent love story’. What should audiences expect?
It is definitely not a conventional love story. The film is set in a dark environment and deals with morally complex characters. The love between the protagonists emerges from very unusual circumstances. There is violence, rawness and emotional intensity.
But at its core, it is still a human story about connection and survival in a harsh world. Some viewers may find it disturbing. Others may see a truth about society that is rarely shown on screen.
You mentioned studying real crime cases while developing the film. How important is research in your filmmaking?
Research is very important for me. Before writing the script, I spent time studying police records and understanding the lives of people involved in small-time crime. Many of them come from difficult socio-economic backgrounds.
I realised that while society often shows power against petty offenders, it sometimes ignores much larger crimes committed by influential people. That contradiction also influenced the narrative.
What do you hope audiences take away from your film?
I don’t expect everyone to like the film. But if audiences walk out of the theatre thinking about the people we usually ignore or judge without understanding, then the film has served its purpose.
Cinema should sometimes comfort us – but it should also challenge us. Cockroach, I believe, belongs to the latter category.
