This summer, get ready to experience the unexperienced as Ollywood comes up with a new face of horror and thrill in 3D with Kaunri Kanya, the first ever film in the history of Odia cinema to have an underwater sequence. In fact, the only other underwater 3D film in news has been Anubhav Sinha’s Warning, which is yet to be released.
Claiming to be technically at par with any Bollywood horror flick, Kaunri Kanya promises to set a new trend in Ollywood. Debuntant director Soumya Ranjan Sahu who has also acted in the film, assures, Kaunri Kanya will leave an impact on the mind of the audiences for a long time to come.
Sahu, a student of Biju Patnaik Film and Television Institute, who has the experience of working for post production in Bollywood for films like Udaan, 3 Idiots and Raavan and several other films down South, is confident that the look and feel of the film will be one of the highlights to look forward to. Sahu also takes care of the screenplay and editing for the film.
‘’Since I have taken care of the post production with a team in Bangalore who has had the experience of working in Hollywood movies like Harry Potter and Spiderman, I am confident of the results. We have gone for Stereoscopic 3D, simultaneously shooting with two cameras for the left and right eye, digital intermediate, wherein we go for digital enhancement for better picture quality and many other things, which have to be seen on screen to be understood,’’ Sahu informs, adding the ten minute underwater sequence will be a treat to watch.
The film has been produced by his brother Ramya Ranjan. The background score and music, yet another USP of the film, has been done by Satya and Mithun, both from South. The cinematography is by Tusharkant Sahu, who has taken care of lighting effects in movies like Rajneeti and Aarakshan and also for Aamir Khan’s Satyamev Jayate.
Interestingly, the film will be a launching pad for several newcomers, all of whom have been selected through auditions. The only known face in the movie is that of Prakruti Mishra, who comes in for a special appearance.
‘‘There is a different level of energy when the entire cast is new as they all want to put in their best.
Many of them are theatre artistes. This apart, the whole team is young, cast and crew all below 25 and all of them have worked very hard for this movie. The results will be there for everyone to see in a month or so,’’ says Sahu, the confidence reflecting in his eyes.
The film is based on a real life story of black magic and has been majorly shot at a remote village, Surangi, in Ganjam. The underwater sequence has been done in Vizag. Talking about her debut experience, Kavya Kiran, who is the protagonist and is already in news after the promos and teasers, says she is super excited about the film. ‘‘I had been modelling for sometime in Mumbai but this was a new experience. We all had apprehensions when we started as we were all new but the output has laid all our fears to rest. The underwater shoot for two days was the toughest part as I am scared of water but again I am extremely happy with the results,’’ she quips.
On the other hand, Rehaan, a model and fashion choreographer who has also been working as a music manager at a private radio station and makes his debut as the bad man with the movie, says he always wanted to enter into films with a negative or grey shade. ‘’The whole film was a learning experience considering the difficulties we had to face while shooting in the village. There was no civilization nearby.
But at the end of the day, it was an awesome experience,’’ he informs.
Talking about the cast, Sahu says ‘’this film will show the industry what newcomers are capable of and I am confident Ollywood will accept newbies with an open arm after this. The reason I am in Odisha is because I want to give people something new and it couldn’t have been better than Kaunri Kanya, which we plan to release in all halls across the State.’’