Showing posts with label Rishab Shetty interview. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rishab Shetty interview. Show all posts
Chhatrapati Shivaji is a national hero; I feel immense pride in bringing his story to the screen-Rishab Shetty
2:36 PM
Sridevi S (BOMBAY TIMES; December 6, 2024)
Rishab Shetty is stacking up some interesting roles in the near future. After wrapping up Kantara Chapter 1, he is expected to join Prasanth Varma’s Jai Hanuman, and post that, he will be playing the titular role in Sandeep Singh’s historical saga, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
In an exclusive chat with Bangalore Times, the national-award-winning actor, revealed that besides the two films, he has two more projects in the line-up, and one of them will make Kannadigas very, very proud. “My plate is full, but not overflowing,” Rishab says. Excerpts:
‘Playing Shivaji is an honour beyond words’
Every actor’s dream is to explore different characters, says Rishab. “I am glad that opportunities are knocking on my door. I haven’t ventured out or sought these roles intentionally. They are coming to me, and I feel so privileged to have achieved this. Shivaji’s life and legacy have always fascinated me, and there is a deep sense of pride in being associated with such a great historical figure. Opportunities like biopics come only once in a lifetime. As an actor and a performer, I feel that it’s an honour to bring his story to life on the big screen. Sandeep’s vision for the film was so grand, that as soon as I heard the film, I said yes without blinking an eyelid. He is a national hero whose impact transcends history, and I feel immense pride in bringing his story to the screen. And to put myself in the shoes of one of the most revered iconic characters of Indian history is a blessing in itself,” he explains.
‘I know this biopic will be full of drama, grandeur and emotions’
Back in time, there was no concept of nations, only Kingdoms. So, for me, the chance to share Shivaji’s life with people is appealing. As actors, we look for scripts that excite the audience and that have a storyline peppered with ample drama, grandeur, and emotions, and I can say with confidence that this will be one such film.
‘For the next two years, I am dedicated to being a director’s actor’
Rishab reveals that besides these two magnum opus projects, he has signed two more films that he will be working on in the next two years.
“I cannot reveal much, but among the two, one of them is going to make Kannadigas very proud. Post Kantara Chapter 1, I am not directing any films anytime soon, and I will only be acting in all four projects. I am looking forward to bringing my directors’ visions on screen for the next two years.”
I won’t leave the Kannada film industry for other languages-Rishab Shetty
8:26 AM
Niharika Lal (BOMBAY TIMES; December 2, 2023)
Rishab Shetty, who was in Goa for IFFI, had recently announced the prequel to Kantara. There, he spoke about how he had the idea of a prequel in mind while filming for the first part.
“While doing Kantara, I had it in my mind; I had story elements; the story was in two parts. During promotions, the filmmakers ended up announcing a franchise, but I didn't want to do that. While I had this thought in mind, I kept it to myself and thought we would make a second film only if the first one is received well by the audience.”
He also spoke about why he sees the success of his film, Kantara, as a responsibility, the flawed concept of talking endlessly about a film during promotions, and the importance of word-of-mouth publicity. Excerpts:
‘IT’S NOT US WHO SHOULD BE TALKING ABOUT THE FILM, IT’S THE AUDIENCE'
Rishab says that people now only want to talk to him about his upcoming film, but that is something he is not on board with. “I feel that, in the name of promotions, we actors and directors end up talking more about the film than the audience. It's not us who should be talking about the film, it's the audience. Baat toh kaam pe hona chahiye, aur woh logon pe chhorna chahta hoon main,” he said.
RISHAB SHETTY WON THE SPECIAL JURY AWARD FOR KANTARA; IT’S THE FIRST KANNADA FILM TO WIN THE AWARD AT IFFI
“Last year, we came to IFFI to promote Kantara. It was a really proud moment for us this year that Kantara was in the competition section at IFFI. In fact, it was the support and love of the audience because of which the film not just found a place at the box office but in the history of Indian cinema,” he says.
‘FOR STATES OUTSIDE KARNATAKA, I AM JUST A ONE FILM WONDER’
“For outside states (other than Karnataka), I’m considered a one-film wonder. They feel I have done one movie and (wonder) what else I will do! This question will always remain. So, I feel it is my responsibility to do my next film with all my strength,” says Rishab, who has directed four films, and acted in over 16 films in Kannada.
‘NO MATTER HOW EXCITING THE OFFERS ARE, I WILL NOT LEAVE THE KANNADA FILM INDUSTRY’
When asked if he would be interested in doing Hindi films, Rishab said, “After the success of Kantara, I received offers not only from Hindi films but from several other languages besides Kannada. There are many beautiful opportunities that I am missing because I feel I should not leave the Kannada film industry. It’s a sentiment. ‘Ek film hit hua toh ye industry chhod ke ja raha hai, aisa nahi hona chahiye.’”
‘IF THE MOVIE’S CONTENT IS GOOD, IT CAN GO BEYOND THE LANGUAGE BARRIER’
Speaking about the fact that now movies are doing well, irrespective of language, Rishab shared that if his Kannada film reaches people in other states, he’ll dub the film and release it. He said, “Hindi cinema is still performing much better when it comes to theatrical performance. If content is good, then people will appreciate the film, irrespective of language. We need to explore it and make sure our content should be globally rich.”
‘OTT PLATFORMS ARE NOT TAKING KANNADA MOVIES AT PRESENT’
“Festival films get limited exposure in theaters, but there should be a way to get these films released in theaters. However, OTTs are not entering the Kannada industry at present, after a few films backfired. They are refusing to take more Kannada films, and if this is the case, we won’t be able to recover our money from the theatrical release of Pedro, Shivamma, and another Film Bazaar film that is a work-in-progress. If I release them theatrically, these three will be my last movies from my own production house,” he says.
In Kantara, no viewer asked about the budget of the film. They felt a connect with the film-Rishab Shetty
8:27 AM
Niharika Lal (BOMBAY TIMES; November 29, 2022)
Kantara director Rishab Shetty spoke about the importance of telling a hyperlocal story, exploring the theme of nature in his latest film and why he thinks pan-India films is a flawed concept. Shetty, who was also the film’s lead, discussed these topics with veteran film producer TG Thayarajan at an IFFI (International Film Festival of India) session titled Representing Cultural Diversity and Identifying New Markets.
‘I WROTE KANTARA BECAUSE I WANTED TO EXPRESS THE ANGRY YOUNG MAN INSIDE ME’
Talking about his character in Kantara, Rishab said, “I wrote Kantara because I wanted to act in it. For years, I wanted to play a character like Shiva but I never got a chance to do that and got busy with direction. I was the lead in Bell Bottom, which is a comedy genre, and after that I was offered a lot of comedy and underdog roles. I felt that if I will accept these roles then I will be limiting myself to this particular genre and I won’t be able to express the angry young man who’s inside me. That’s why I wrote this role.”
‘I BELIEVE THE MORE REGIONAL A STORY IS, THE MORE UNIVERSAL IT IS’
Asked if he thinks the world is warming up to regional films from India, Rishab said that it is the power of cinema. He said, “There is a need to tell local stories because the more rooted and local a story is, the more unique it would be and these unique stories have a universal appeal.”
He added, “If I am going to tell you a story of my own village, which I did in Kantara, then you will not get that particular story from that particular village on any OTT platform or in world cinema because that story is unique to my own village. Hence, I feel that there is a dire need to tell unique stories. So if I bring a story from my village and present it in a new format then people are going to like it. There is nothing new in stories. It is just the treatment of the story that is always new. I believe that the more regional a story is, the more universal it is.”
‘KARNATAKA MERI KARMBHOOMI HAI AUR MAIN UDHAR HI FILM KARNA CHAHTA HOON’
Kantara was dubbed after its release in five languages, including Hindi, because of the demand. Rishab said, “Now it has become a pan-India film. There is no formula for a pan-India film. It is the audience connect that matters.”
In response to a question if he would be interested in doing films in other languages besides Kannada? Rishab said, “Main Kannada film karna chahta hoon. Across the country and even the world, people have transcended the language barrier and watched Kantara, and showered me with so much love and respect, but I’ve come from the Karnataka film industry and Kannada people have given me a platform to tell my stories. Karnataka meri karmbhoomi hai aur main udhar hi films karna chahta hoon. If my film in Kannada language reaches people in other states – be it Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam then I’ll dub the film and release it.”
Rishab also confirmed that Kantara is being dubbed in multiple foreign languages.
‘AUDIENCE DOESN’T CARE IF IT IS A BIG OR A SMALL BUDGET FILM, THEY ONLY CARE ABOUT CONNECTION’
Rishab dismissed the idea of pan-India films and the notion that producers have to increase the budget to reach a wider audience. He said, “Now, the reach of cinema has become limitless. If the content is strong in today’s time, then it can reach any place in the world. The audience doesn’t care whether it is a big-budget film or a small-budget film, all they care about is a connect with a film. When you think that the film should be pan-India and we increase the budget, then at that step itself you are facing a huge loss. I don’t believe in the concept of pan-India films. Producers mislead bhi hote hain – they think a big budget means wider reach which is definitely not true. Now in Kantara, no viewer asked about the budget of the film. They felt a connect with the film, liked the story and watched it. Word-of-mouth is the most inexpensive form of marketing and it contributed to the success of Kantara. Any film can perform well if the audience can connect with the content. I decide the budget of my films on the basis of what the film needs.”
‘MAIN SOCIETY SE KUCH LEKAR FILM MEIN DIKHANE KI KOSHISH KARTA HOON’
When asked how he selects the subjects for his films, Rishab said, “I don’t think much about the subject of the film. I even read very less. I was a below-average student in a Kannada medium school and you all are asking me to speak in English so I was wondering if should I speak in English or not? Main sota (sleep) bhi Kannada mein hoon aur khata bhi Kannada mein hoon. Main sab Kannada mein karta hoon. To choose the subject of my film, I observe what is happening in society and around us, what is the political scenario, and what are the discussions going around, and then I take inspiration from that. Yeh sab zyada sochta hoon main aur society se kuch lekar film mein dikhane ki koshish karta hoon.”
When asked if he believes in rituals that are shown in Kantara? He said, “I belong to a family that believes in those rituals and every year we do these rituals. Hamara mool wohi hai. If I would not have believed in those rituals then the audience would not have believed in those rituals shown in the film.”
Mujhe pan-India mein interest nahin tha, to begin with-Rishab Shetty
10:51 PM
The actor-director talks about his latest release earning love across the country and how language is not a barrier anymore
Rishabh Suri (HINDUSTAN TIMES; October 25, 2022)
Kannada actor and director Rishab Shetty is feeling overwhelmed these days, as his latest directorial venture, Kantara, has become the talk of the town. Viewers and industry insiders have been praising it galore, including actors Shilpa Shetty Kundra and Anushka Shetty.
Rishab never expected the film to do “this well”. Hence, the makers didn’t dub it in any other language initially. “The film is about man and nature’s relationship. It’s a part of Karnataka’s folklore. So, I wanted to present this to people in my original language. But then, the demand started for other versions as well. On Twitter, people would message me, ‘Hindi, Telugu, Tamil mein release karo, isko pan-India karo’. Mujhe pan-India mein interest nahin tha, to begin with,” says Rishab, contrary to the current trend of pan-India films doing well.
The 39-year-old adds, “There are no language barriers now. There are no regional languages; it’s Indian cinema, isiliye itna pyaar mil raha hai Kantara ko.”
Rishab, who played the lead role in the film, released the film in select theatres initially. The fact that the film was received well prompted the makers to expand to more theatres. “People have promoted the film so much on social media. It is all word of mouth. Logon ka taste badal raha hai. They have begun to get conscious of Indian traditions,” says the Kirik Party (2016) director.
He has spent 18 years in the film industry and he likes how things are changing: “It’s not as if I have worked only for this (good box-office numbers), bas ab thoda balance ho raha hai.”
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)