Kannada filmmaker R Chandru takes the business side of the film industry very seriously. He believes that the biggest motive of a director is to ensure that his producer does not suffer major losses. But there is a flip side to this approach as well. In an effort to generate enough buzz around a film, a director may miss the importance of writing.
except for his delightfully-subtle coming-of-age film CharminarNone of Chandru’s films are particularly noted for intense writing. His latest much talked about period gangster drama capture – starring Upendra in the lead role and Sudeep and Shivrajkumar in cameo roles – is no different; common criticism has been its similarity kgf movies.
This is not the first time that Chandru has exploited the template of a blockbuster film. Behind him Mungaru male With the sensational success, the industry witnessed several tearjerker romantic dramas, with Chandru making two such films Taj Mahal And love story.
People may call him opportunistic, but for Chandru, it is about being aware of various trends in the industry. For someone who rose from humble beginnings without formal training in filmmaking, it is remarkable how he has weathered setbacks, and constant criticism to stay in the business. Like it or not, he has also gained the trust of the industry’s biggest stars like Shivrajkumar, Upendra and Sudeep, who praise “his hard-working nature”.
has recently announced a sequel to capture, He talks about the criticism of the first instalment, the loopholes in the film, people mistaking her straightforward nature for shameless confidence, and the “conspiracy” that prevented her first pan-India film from tasting success in the Hindi belt . Excerpts:
You made your debut in the late 2000s with a modest budget romantic drama. Today, you are planning the sequel of your first all India film. How does it feel when you look back on your journey?
I am happy with my growth. I belong to a farming family from Keswara village of Chikkaballapura. Growing up, luxury was a foreign concept to me. I could only dream of eating at places like Leela Palace and Lalit Ashok. I may not be very educated, but I learned the craft of filmmaking by watching. During my five years as Assistant Director S Narayan, I understood how the industry works, the market of different heroes and how neighboring industries view sandalwood. My first objective as a budding filmmaker was to make a solid film within the budget given to me and ensure that the producer is protected. After some time, I decided to become a producer as I didn’t want to put anyone at risk. Cinema is business at the end of the day.
when i did the telugu remake Charminar, Despite the original being a hit, I was not given a huge budget. Today, Kannada filmmakers are making headlines with their content. The market of the industry has increased. So, I sensed an opportunity and made capture, There has been a ‘do or die’ attitude in my life. I believe in hard work like a farmer. while shooting for my debut feature Taj MahalAnant Nag sir told me that he has seen different types of filmmakers but never seen a director with farmer determination like me.
Ever since ‘Kabja’ started, people were upset that you are trying to make another ‘KGF’. What other criticisms did you face in the lead up to the film?
Absolutely, capture began when I said to myself, “If kgf Maybe, then I can do a big film too.” So I called some friends from the industry and talked to them about my dream project. I chose Upendra because I was sure he would be apt for the role of pilot-turned-gangster. For production quality, people aim for the sky, but I touched the sky. People commented behind my back. They said capture There would be a washout, and I would lose everything. Even Upendra was not convinced that I would invest more than his market value in him.
Today I can proudly say that I have no debt to anyone. The film is a massive hit on Prime Video. It is on the list of trending movies on the streaming site, like how KGF: Chapter 2, And Kantara Were. Representatives of Prime Video called to say that they were pleased with the film’s performance on the platform so far, and that they were interested in purchasing the sequel as well.
You were once denied a chance to make a film with Allu Arjun. Now you have made a pan India film with three big superstars of Kannada cinema. Do you think you have proved a point to your opponents?
It is true that I was sidelined because I was a Kannada filmmaker. But now I have come a long way. Not many people know that Lyca Productions called me to think of a story for Ajith (Kumar) sir after watching the trailer of the film. capture, Pawan Kalyan sir was impressed with the film. Anand Pandit, who co-produced capture, Told me that Amitabh Bachchan was impressed with my production. After releasing the trailer of the Hindi version of the film, Big B called me home through Anand. That said, I don’t get excited by compliments. my focus is possession 2 Now , I want to make more blockbuster films, and maybe in the future make films of talented newcomers.
How receptive were you to the criticism Kabzaa received?
Of course I have made mistakes, but you have to understand that this is my first all-India film. I know where I went wrong, even though I haven’t openly discussed my mistakes. As a producer, I was involved in several weeks of work before the film’s release. I could not concentrate on the technical work of the film. I need to plan the release of the sequel better. Lessons were also learned. I understood how well we can release films worldwide. possession 2 Will release in more countries.
I respect critics. My grandfather used to say that you should be close to people who criticize you, because you can always improve yourself and understand what people think about you. In fact, I am not swayed by positive reviews; I look for critical reviews because they point out your mistakes. As for the critics who make derogatory comments and take money for writing personal attack reviews, I have decided to take legal action against them.
A still from ‘Kabja’ | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
But film buffs were not satisfied either.
People were impressed by the technical aspects of the film. The film got a good response in South India. In the north, it suffered due to several framed reviews. It was a planned attack on my film. I think a popular distributor is behind this conspiracy. We did not give him the film for distribution in the Hindi belt. Obviously, he was not happy about it. On the day of the film’s release, negative video reviews took place at 6:30 am, three hours before the morning show. I know how to make sure that this doesn’t happen again with my films.
Your answers are point-blank, but people call you overconfident. How do you see this image of yourself?
I have thought about this. Look, I am not the son of any famous actor or director. do a capture, I don’t have Vijay Kiragandur (From Homble Films), or Dil Raju (a renowned Telugu producer). That’s why I became a producer myself. I gave everything to this project. Only I know what I had to lose to make this film. Since I am controlling it, I have to talk a lot about the film to widen its reach. That’s when jealousy sets in. I don’t want to talk too much about it and I just want to focus on my work. But if I end up being a one man army, I have no option but to sell my film on a large scale.
Will ‘Kabaja 2′ be able to do justice to the might of Upendra, Shivrajkumar and Sudeep? Can you live up to the fans’ expectations?
If I only look to complete the image of a star, the story will suffer. If I focus only on the story, the stars will look out of place on the screen. So I would try to strike a balance between the story and the reputation of the stars involved.
I will plan well and give timely updates. If I say something now, people will make their own theories and come into the film with wrong expectations.