MG Srinivas hops onto the director’s chair with Srinivasa Kalyana, as he debuts as an actor as well. Srinivas was an RJ who later turned a feature film director with Upendra’s Topiwala. Taking his film career to the next level, Srinivas strives now not just to direct his next film, but also act in it. What drove him to take such a plunge? “As an RJ, I always wanted to be on the creative side of films and wanted to be an actor too. I started doing short films, in which I acted too. Uppi, who saw my short films, gave me a chance to direct him in Topiwala and I became a feature film director. However, the actor in me was restless. Then came Srinivasa Kalyana,” he replies.
The film is a romantic comedy that will see two heroines. “This is a modern tale of Srinivasa’s marriage made with a lot of humour. Since I have my name on the script, screenplay, dialogues and direction, I felt I might as well play the hero,” he says.
Srinivas, who had the muharath of his film last Friday, has started the shoot and has chosen Bangalore, Chikmangalur and Mysore as locations. He has roped in newbie Nikila while he is still in search of another actress. “This film will see many new names including Raghu Thane as the music composer. Another newcomer Vikram Sridhar is the editor of the film and Ashwin Kadambur is the cinematographer.”
He says, “The responsibilities that come with making a movie are not easy. But with my experience in short films, I hope I can handle them with ease. There is no gain without pain. Moreover, as an actor and director, I can tell the story the way I want.”