Debutant director Anup Bhandari had to combine work and leisure for his film Rangitaranga. The film which is celebrating 25 weeks in Karnataka and being shortlisted, among the 305 films, for the Oscar nominations has already made its rounds across the globe.
Anup tells City Express about his travels, from the location recce to screenings and to every nook and cranny of the US.
“I was never a travel buff, even before Rangitaranga happened. Now, I have travelled 10 times for my film,” he says.
In search of locations, he went to the most beautiful places in Karnataka and India. “I travel led thousands of kilometres when we drove along the entire stretch from Mangaluru to Trivandrum, three to four times. We also covered Madikeri, Sakleshpur and Ooty.”
Travelling to spot locations is the best, he says, when he explores new places. “Finding the perfect location is bliss. It was a new experience when I travelled to Trivandrum, where I didn’t know the language well and faced some difficulty, but we finally managed,” he says.
Rangitaranga was appreciated for its beautiful locations. “Travelling while you work is not easy. But when we are waiting for equipments to arrive, we get an opportunity to experience the place. I like to shoot in natural surroundings. Even modern buildings don’t attract me, and I tried to avoid shooting in such places as much as possible.”
The best memory Anup says travelling for Rangitaranga was spotting a beautiful location Hatti holle near Madikeri. “The people at that place had a jeep and I could stand behind and enjoy the drive and there was a slight drizzle.”
In the US, he can’t remember the number of flights he had been on. It is all a blur. “I had to catch to be in and out of different places in east, south and central parts of America. I had the opportunity to see a lot of new cities. I had to
travel every day and I was in different time zones whenever I entered new cities.
Running to one airport from another, he missed his flight. By then Kannadigas residing in the USA had recognised who I was and, despite the busy schedule, I had to make time for a photo op with them. I still feel bad that I refused one person at the airport. I had to do it because I was already late for a flight. I apologised,” he said.
Anup had the opportunity to spend time with his wife and daughter who are currently residing in the US. “I will travel to the US again next week.”