Nagarjun Sharma, Sandeep Sunkad, Rukmini Vasanth, Srinidhi Bengaluru and Chethan D Souza during the The Hindu’s Kannada cinema roundtable 2024 at the Courtyard in Bengaluru.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement.
Rukmini Vasanth, an emerging actor from the Kannada film industry, felt Upendra’s directorial UIwas the standout moment in Kannada cinema in 2024. “The fact that he was returning to the big screen as a director after almost a decade got me very curious about the movie. His films have a unique philosophy that makes you think,” she said.
Kannada cinema roundtable 2024: Rukmini, Chethan, Srinidhi, Sandeep, Nagarjun Sharma
As we near the end of 2024, The Hindu spoke to the achievers from the Kannada film industry.
| Video Credit:
The Hindu
Rukmini was part of the The Hindu Kannada Cinema roundtable at the Courtyard in Bengaluru, along with directors Sandeep Sunkad (Shakhahaari) and Srinidhi Bengaluru (Blink), stunt choreographer Chethan D Souza and lyricist Nagarjun Sharma. The mention of Upendra’s film, which hit the screens on December 20, 2024, spurred a discussion on film literacy among Kannada audiences.
“During the pandemic, people got exposed to films from across the world. Nowadays, they are intolerant to poor content,” said Chethan. Echoing his thoughts, Nagarjun noted, “Audiences are smarter than filmmakers.” “They are decoding every dialogue and lines from a song,” he said. However, the panel was united in their opinion about fans judging the film a touch early, concluding their thoughts on a movie just by the trailer or a glimpse.
With a decent mix of content-oriented films and big-screen spectacles, it was an interesting year for the film industry. Nagarjun wrote the lyrics for the viral songs from Bheema, composed by Charan Raj. It was Nagarjun’s second collaboration with actor-director Duniya Vijay after Salaga.
The artistes during the The Hindu’s Kannada cinema roundtable 2024 at the Courtyard in Bengaluru.
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
“I had lots to take away from the film’s album. The emotions differ from one song to another. ‘Don’t worry baby chinnamma’ sounds fun but is also a funeral song. The idea was to balance the serious aspect of the song with a high-spirited, funky tune and lyrics. ‘Psych psych’ feels like a song written to boost the hero’s swagger. But it also conveys the protagonist’s warning to his rivals. ‘Aadi baa magane’ is the outburst of Bheema. He is ready to destroy his enemies.”
For Rukmini, after an intense portrayal of lost love in Hemanth M Rao’s Sapta Sagaradaache Ello films in 2023, starring in star vehicles such as Baanadariyall, Bagheera, and Bhairathi Ranagal was about reaching a wider audience. “I know that there are people who don’t watch romantic dramas. Even if I sink my teeth into my character in a relationship drama they won’t be interested in the film.
“For them, a superhero film or a star-driven movie is a must-watch. That’s why Bagheera and Bhairathi Ranagal interested me. I knew from the get-go that my character had very little time in both films. Despite my characters having less contribution to the story, I aimed to make them memorable,” she explained.
The action in Bagheeraset a new benchmark in the Kannada film industry. “We wanted the fights to be slick and close to reality,” said Chethan. “The punches, effects, and fallings had to look natural. Bagheera doesn’t have superpowers. We had to convince people that he was a common man fighting for justice,” he described. On the contrary, in Max, the blockbuster film starring Sudeep, the focus was on his screen presence and style during the fight scenes. “That’s Sudeep’s strength. His fans come for it,” he added.
ALSO READ:‘Max’ movie review: A fiery Sudeep drives this high-octane action thriller with minor flaws
The thrillers Shakhahaari and Blink received immense praise from critics and film buffs from across the country after it dropped on OTT platforms. “I didn’t make the film for the OTT space. It was because of the lack of theatres and immense competition from different films that we had to bank on the streaming space. Once it dropped on Prime Video, the film got its due, with many calling it one of the best thrillers of 2024,” said Sandeep.
Srinidhi had a similar story to tell. “Like for Shakhahaari, my film Blink had demand but we couldn’t allot screens for the audience. Soon after the release, the IPL and general elections were major obstacles. After its OTT premiere, we got a huge demand for the Telugu-dubbed version. Incidentally, the film’s Hindi trailer gathered more views than the original trailer, increasing the buzz in Hindi-speaking regions,” he said.
The panel members also opened up on conquering creative challenges in their respective movies. “For Shakhahaari, I was very excited to work with Rangayana Raghu sir,” said Sandeep.
“He is a veteran character artiste. I had to bring something new out of him since he was the film’s protagonist. He is a busy actor. I used to visit him on different movie sets and interact with him. The first day of the shoot was challenging since there were only reaction shots. Once we went past that, it was a breeze. That’s when I realised he had done his homework quietly without telling us,” he recollected.
ALSO READ:‘Shakhahaari’ movie review: Rangayana Raghu, Gopalkrishna Deshpande power this clever crime drama
For Rukmini, acting in the intense scene in which she gets murdered at the hands of the antagonist in Bagheera was a tough one. “I know what I am comfortable with as an actor. I like subtleties. This scene was the polar opposite of being subtle. It was about expressing pain and portraying death. To shout and cry in pain while shooting and to dub it later is difficult for me. But as an actor, I had to push my boundaries. We shot the scene thrice. I am glad people are noticing it.”
Nagarjun, who worked on the Kannada hit independent song ‘Mayavi’ with Sonu Nigam and Sanjith Hegde for Salim-Sulaiman’s YouTube Channel, said he aims to do more such projects. “In independent music, we need to write a complete story and convey it through a song. I loved that process. Sanjith and I are shocked by the song’s success,” he said.
The discussion ended on the question of Kannada cinema’s identity. Showcasing the rich cultural diversity of the State could help people form an impression of the film industry, Sandeep opined. Srinidhi said films must have cities such as Bengaluru and Mysuru as central characters in the story and not just as a mere backdrop with no context. Chethan said it’s a good sign that artistes such as actors Rishab Shetty, Rukmini, and Yash and music composers Ravi Basrur and Ajaneesh Loknath have made an impression in other industries.
Published – December 31, 2024 05:25 pm IST
