Getting a chance to helm a mythological drama like Kurukshetra was a proud moment for him, says director Naganna, since he was handling a genre that has become rare in the cinema industry now.
“I am equally proud to be a part of the project that is creating a record for being the first epic drama to have a 3-D version,” says Naganna, adding, “While I consider this opportunity as God’s blessing, I also thank Munirathna for it. The producer had watched my previous biographical war film, Sangolli Rayanna, and expressed faith in my capabilities to handle such a project,” he says.
Though the release of the historical drama was delayed for various reasons, the film —Darshan’s 50th — still holds a lot of excitement for viewers, giving the makers confidence that two years of effort on this venture will not go waste.
Kurukshetra, which consists of an ensemble cast, is set to be released worldwide on August 9 in all the South Indian languages, followed by a Hindi release.
“Kurukshetra is just not a film. It is going to be a festival for this generation,” says Naganna, adding that a passion for folklore cinema and mythology helped him handle this mammoth project.
“I grew up watching all kinds of cinema, but was often influenced by the epic characters played by Dr Rajkumar and N T Rama Rao in Telugu, and the passion towards such subjects became my driving force,” he reveals.
In Kurukshetra, the makers are highlighting the subject from Duryodhana’s viewpoint, which is again a first-of-its-kind attempt in Kannada cinema.
“Every character portrayed in Mahabharata has got its own importance. The same Mahabharata can be told from the point of view of Krishna, as also Arjuna, Shakuni, Drutharastra and Draupadi. But producer Munirathna felt that Duryodhana on centre stage will be equally interesting.
"Moreover, J K Bhairavi, who is well-versed on this epic, wrote the story and screenplay of this film, which was later handed over to me by Munirathna. The producer became the main pillar of this film, along with music director V Harikrishna, who has come up with good songs and background score; Nagendra Prasad, who has written the lyrics for all the tracks; cinematographer Jayanan Vincent; music composer K Kalyan, and the co-directors and associates.,” he says.
Shooting for Kurukshetra in 2-D and 3-D, which took place for 200 days, was a mammoth task. “Coming out with two versions meant that double effort had to be made by every technician and artiste, who had to face the camera twice.
"Apart from the main artistes, we had to handle around 3,000 junior artistes. At one point, I had lost count of whom I was interacting with,” says Nagaanna, adding that unlike regular cinema, a lot of preparation work for Kurukshetra went into all the departments, including makeup, costumes, set-ups, and equipment.
According to Naganna, handling such a project is possible only if a producer is willing to bear the cost, and has the passion for such films, and Munirathna has given his heart and soul to this project. He adds.
“We wanted to do the film only in 2-D, but it was his vision to have it in 3-D, and it became a reality. The tale of the war calls for a festive outing in the various languages. With Darshan as Duryodhana, and other characters, I assure viewers that Kurukshetra will be a visual treat and something that can be watched by the young and old.”