C Shekar likes to experiment with different genres, and that was his driving force in films. With his latest, Love Birds, he is happy to get back to helm a film in his favourite genre, a romantic subject.
“My first film, Romeo, worked out in a very big way. However, my later projects had only a splash of romance, as I attempted comedy with Chaddi Dost, a murder mystery drama with Arjuna, and a crime drama like The Terrorist. With Love Birds, I have shifted back to a completely romantic film,” says the director, who speaks ahead of the film’s release on February 17, and has real-life couple Krishna and Milana Nagaraj sharing space on the silver screen.
“I always felt handling a romantic subject is a little easy compared to other genres because it is a common emotion for all people. Subjects like crime or thriller need some research, but love is an inborn quality, and we understand emotions easily. The experience, I have received with each film has had a major impact on my writing in a positive way,” says the director.
Love Birds is an urban romance, which deals with a modern couple leading a successful life post-marriage, and features Krishna as a software engineer, and Milana Nagaraj, as a fashion designer. Samyukta Hornad plays a lawyer who is the catalyst in this film.
“Every love story should have an undercurrent theme to it. Marriage can be successful only if the minds of the husband and wife are one. It is something beyond just attraction. I felt it is a topic that should be discussed in society. The initial phase of marriage might seem all rosy, but there is a possibility of love fading as time passes if efforts are not taken. It is a fact for every couple, and I have put this across in an entertaining, and lighter way,” he says.
Interestingly, Shekar is influenced by the Gotman method, developed by a couple, and he has used the key points from the method in the screenplay of Love Birds. Talking about bringing real-life couples Krishna and Milana, Shekar says that he felt a real-life couple could do justice to the plot. “I had watched their film Love Mocktail, and that’s when I had decided that they would be the leads to my story,” he adds.
Produced by Kaddipudi Chandru, the film also features Rangayana Raghu, Sadhu Kokila, Veena Sundar, and noted YouTuber Gaurav Shetty in pivotal roles. Love Birds has Arjun Janya, and Shakti Shekar handling the music and cinematography, respectively