The theatrical trailer of Puneeth Rajkumar'sRajakumaara, which was released along with the star's Doddmane Hudga, has received an overwhelming response in a short time. The director of blockbuster hit Mr and Mrs Ramachari, Santhosh Ananddram, who is now helming his second film with Puneeth takes the opportunity to credit the technicians, who are doing their best to execute his vision.
Today a film is mostly seen as the end product, says Santhosh, as business and not as art. "The art of cinema lies at the pre-production, when you write, discuss or think, which sets no limits and boundaries for your imagination. The commercial side starts the day you start shooting, when the investment comes into the picture. Shooting is very important, but I mostly focus on the pre-production work of the film, where the foundation begins," he says.
The team is left with 28 days of shooting -- one fight, one song and talkie portions -- and it will start from October 15.
Santhosh says the producer is the key person for the movie's success. "Though he is an investor, I call him the first technician," he says, "because he controls all the creative aspects of the film. In that way, Vijay Kiragandur and I have worked well together from the day Rajakumaara started as a line, and it will continue to be so. He is not there just as a producer but is involved in the process of filmmaking," he says.
The first pillars of Rajakumaara are the writers and associate directors, he says. Vijay Naagendra has been with him from the initial days of his career, starting with Gajakesari, for which he worked as a writer. "Vijay and my journey in direction started with Mr and Mrs Ramachari and now Rajakumaara. Two more people - Anil Mandya and Gautam Karanth — were added to our team, for the screen play. They stood by me and my thought process. I also have Sagar, Rakshit and Arun as Associate Directors," says Santhosh, who took a year and four months to finish the movie's script and settled on the fourth version of the screenplay.
"Puneeth was there for many discussions and he gave his valuable inputs," he says.
"Puneeth has been in cinema for 40 years and started as a child artiste. Thankfully, we share a very good bond."
Santhosh says most filmmakers don't involve themselves before the shoot because money doesn’t come into the picture till then, and when you sit in a room with paper and a pen.
From Ramachari to now, it has been a two-year break for Santhosh, but he is not in a hurry.
"Mr and Mrs Ramachari gave me confidence and credibility, which I want to build on with every film," says Santhosh.
"We can't make successful films, we can only make good films, and I want Rajakumaara to be one such
example."