Filmmaker Naresh Kumar came under the spotlight right from his debut film, 1st Rank Raju. The film, about education, had a compelling message for both students and parents. His next, Raju Kannada Medium, largely weaved a narrative around life lessons.
His third outing, South Indian Hero, is about cinema and in particular, gives a glimpse of the Superstar’s life. Sharing his thoughts about direction and subjects he chooses to work on, Naresh says, “As a director, I prefer off-beat subjects, but it should also be entertaining. I am a keen observer of people, and I like choosing real-life subjects and bringing them onscreen.”
With South Indian Hero, Naresh clarifies that it is not based on any particular actor, but a culmination of various narratives about multiple cinema personalities. “My story is about an ordinary man from a village, who aspires to become an actor, and eventually turns out to be a superstar. This subject captures the glimpses of this actor, and about his life after he becomes a superstar, “ says Naresh, adding that he has tried to address certain issues about superstars through this film.
“The film highlights fan wars, an actor’s offscreen personality, their mental health, their philosophical side, and lifestyle,” says the filmmaker who aims to capture the off-screen side of a star’s life through this film. Interestingly, Naresh has chosen to cast a newcomer in this film. “Bringing an already established actor would not have justified my script.
That’s why I chose Sarthak. He has worked in teleserials, and this film marks his big screen debut, and he has potential,” says Naresh, adding that his film is a film-in-a-film, and Sarthak’s character of Logic Laxman Rao has about 20 different shades.
The film also stars Kaashima Rafi and Urvashi in a pivotal role. South Indian Hero also has Yogaraj Bhat playing the role of a director alongside Vijay Chendoor, Ashwin Palakki, Amith, Ashwin Kodange, and Chitkala Biradar. Backed by Shilpa LS under Riyanshi Films, South Indian Hero has cinematography by Praveen and Rajashekar, and music by Harsha Vardhan Raj and Anil CJ.