BANGALORE: Classic films never lose their charm and Sandalwood can be proud of a few films that have made their way into history. Dr Rajkumar’s Kasturi Nivasa is definitely one such classic. To revive the magic of this hit, producer K C N Mohan has taken up the initiative of re-releasing the film in digital format.
Passionate about the film, he has taken two years to prepare a fresh new product in colour and the film is all set to release in August. "Kasturi Nivasa is a film about a generous man and it has a strong social message. Musically, the film was a super hit and it will suit the present trend too. Moreover, the film was done when Dr Rajkumar was at the peak of his career. It was my father, K C N Gowda's dream to release Kasturi Nivasa in colour. Though he took up the project, he could not complete it because he passed away while the film was in the making. So, I decided to fulfill his dreams," says K C N Mohan.
Mohan has plans to have a trailer launch of the film, which starred K S Ashwath, Jayanthi and Aarthi apart from Annavaru. "I am glad to give a whole new look to the film," he says.
The producer admits that reviving a classic is almost like making a new film. "It is a difficult task. It is like starting from scratch. Every frame has to be converted from negative to digital format, after which each scene will be painted considering the background and colour scheme. The songs, which had mono sound, needs to be converted into digital, which will definitely recreate the magic," he says.
But Mohan stresses that while changing the technical aspects, he has not changed one bit of the film nor has he added any new aspect. "It will remain an original with added colour and a boost to the sound. Sathya Harischandra, which was made in colour, looked a little rough on screen. So this time, for Kasturi, we got a smooth effect with the help of a new software. We have to wait and watch whether this evergreen film of Sandalwood will become a blockbuster again," he says.
Kasturi Nivasa was released in 1971 and later remade in Tamil as Avananthan Manidan starring Shivaji Ganeshan. It was made in Hindi as Shandaar with Sanjeev Kumar in the lead. "I have plans to bring back old classics to life all over again and want the current generation to understand what kind of films were done in the past," Mohan says.
