While films by established actors and directors of Kannada film industry bombed at the box office, it was a mystery thriller by a debutant director that created waves this year. Rangitaranga, the directorial debut of Anup Bhandari.
The fact that some theatres in Karnataka have been screening it for 25 weeks and the film ran for 50 days in a theatre in USA, speaks volumes about it’s popularity.
Born in Dakshina Kannada, he completed his BE in Information Science at Vidya Vikas Institute of Engineering. Armed with some basic knowledge about filmmaking, he made his first short film Life Meets Life. The movie which dealt with economic inequality, won several awards. “From my younger days, we used to watch and discuss movies. I was also interested in music and acting in college,” he said. Such experiences in his early life, ensured that Anup not only directed Rangitaranga, but also contributed to the music of the 2015 Kannada blockbuster.
Recalling his college days, he said even while bunking classes, he used to go home and watch movies. “I bunked only afternoon classes, as they were very sleepy,” he said. Propelled by the success of his first film, he has started working on other projects. “The script is complete and the shooting will start soon,” he added.