Director Nanda Kishore has endured quite a bit of pain with the making of Ranna. Hard work on the part of the cast and crew along with divine intervention seems to have taken the project through all the hardships it faced right till its release.
With Gokul Films coming back after 20 years to distribute a Kannada film, Ranna will be released in more than 275 theatres across Karnataka today. Expectations are skyrocketing among fans despite the fact that it is a remake. There are even early morning shows (6 am and 7 am) slated in around 80 theatres in the state.
Nanda Kishore is all praise for actor Sudeep and in a conversation with City Express, he gives us glimpses of the star’s unconditional involvement in the making of the film.
New team for Sudeep
For the first time in his career, Sudeep seems to have come out of his comfort zone, working with newcomers as well as prominent artistes and technicians.
“He shares screen space with actors like Prakash Raj, Madhoo, Rachita Ram, Hariprriya, Chikkanna, Tabla Nani, Devaraj and Sharath Lohitashwa for the first time. Sadhu Kokila is the only actor he has previously worked with. Even technicians like cameraperson Sudhakar S Raj, editor K M Prakash and dialogue writer Prashanth, along with stunt master Peter Heins associated with Sudeep for the first time,” says Kishore.
Climax will be the USP
According to the director, the actor usually comes to the sets, goes through his scenes and immediately takes his shot. But for the climax, he took three to four days to prepare himself. “He took the scene papers and rehearsed in his room before taking the final shot. The climax stretches to about 15 minutes and he did the whole act in a single shot. It will be the USP of the film,” Nanda Kishore asserts.
First time to Europe
In his career spanning 18 years, Sudeep had never travelled to Europe. “He has been to Jordon and Dubai but most of his films have been shot in India. Sudeep has migraine and a fear of flying, so he cannot travel by air for long hours. But he sat through a 12-hour flight to get to Europe for the shooting,” says the director.
Solo dance in Switzerland
The team was shooting in Switzerland when the temperature was in the sub-zeroes, and Sudeep had to dance to a peppy number. “In spite of the weather, he did it in one take. There was one instance, where he couldn’t get the step choreographed by Imran Sardhariya. But he didn’t give up and the next morning, he gave us a perfect shot. In fact, we have never seen him put this much effort into dancing for his own films. Every time he shook a leg, he told us, “I am doing it only for you,’” says the director.
The song Jungle Me Single Sher written by Nagendra Prasad is already high on the popularity charts and according to the director, it will connect with the character of the film as well as the real life of Sudeep. “For the first time, he has attempted a romantic yet peppy song, seerali hudugira nodalebaradu with Rachita Ram,” he says..
New look for Ranna
Sudeep sports a stylish look in the film with a short hairdo and new make-up. “He has changed the products and the combinations. Though Sudeep has his own personal make-up man, most of the job is done by himself. He knows the shades that suit his skin tone and this time, he has gone for a more natural look,” says Kishore.
The costumes for Ranna were designed by Deepa and the suit that can be seen on the film’s posters cost the makers `1 lakh. “He has two roles in the film - one as a multimillionaire and another as a driver. We went for top brands to dress him up as the rich guy,” says the director.
Nostalgia with Rekha
The film has a song in which Sudeep dances with a few heroines he has worked with in the past, like Priyamani, Varalakshmi, Sonia Agarwal and Nikita Thukral. But according to the director, Sudeep had mixed emotions while dancing with Rekha, the actress he worked with in his debut film, Sparsha. “It was a nostalgic moment for Sudeep and Rekha, who were seeing each other after 16 years,” says Kishore.
Censor feedback
According to the director, a woman member of the censor board came up to him and appreciated the film. “She told us that it is made to match Bollywood standards and that Sudeep has been portrayed like never before. It was definitely a pat on our backs,” he says.