While director Rishab Shetty had announced his children’s film, it took longer than usual for the shooting to start. This was because he was awaiting for actor Anant Nag to come on board. “I finally succeeded,” says the director, adding that the script was written keeping Anant Sir in mind.
The actor is playing a character of his age, who behaves like a mischevous youngster. The veteran actor who has played a myriad of roles in his career so far, will yet again put his versatility to test with this film, says Rishab. “Anant took five days to read the script. He was really excited about the story and his character and that gave my confidence level a boost,” he adds.
The title of the movie has also garnered attention for its length. The name of a school board is incorporated in the title. “It is a lengthy one -- Sarkari, He. Pra Shale, Kasargod, Koduge Ramana Rai,” says Rishab.
He adds that his children’s film will be a complete comedy entertainer. It is a junior version of Kirik Party, he adds. “We will touch upon a few social and serious issues in Kasargod and surrounding areas, but it will not be a hard hitting film,” he adds.
The team is scheduled to go on floors from October 5. and Anant Nag’s portions will be shot first.
Meanwhile, Rishab has auditioned around 800 to 900 non-actors from Kasargod Mangaluru and Mysuru. “They are all of all age groups and are going through various workshops. The best 54 will be selected,” he says.
Sarkari, He. Pra Shale, Kasargod, Koduge Ramana Rai, the debut venture of Rishab’s home production will have Vasuki Vaibhav scoring the music with nine songs and cinematography by Venkatesh Anguraj. “We are planning to screen this at various festival circuits while we are aiming for a grand release,” he says.