Lyricist turned director Kaviraj’s comportment is not the usual. After all, his debut film Maduveya Mamatheya Kareyole (MMK) will hit the screens on January 8.
Even though tensed, when he speaks, it is evident that he has the wisdom to know that walking hand-in-hand with the team is much easier than to stumble all alone.
Crediting his team for the product that he is confident about, the director says that the wait feel likes an eternity and he can tell when the influence of patience stops only on Friday.
“January 8 will decide my fate and the fruit of all my efforts. It will help me and the people I work with take the next step,” he says.
Emphasising on the majaa (fun) he experienced while shooting for MMK, Kaviraj asserts that he had hundreds of people working for the film and each one made his dream come true. “Filmmaking is not possible by a one man army. A good film needs dedication all through 24 hours a day with people who can work while matching each other’s wavelength, which is challenging,” he says.
He mentions producer Dinakar, because of whom the film could be made smoothly. “It was because of Dinakar and his Thoogudeepa Production House that we could reach so far. Since he is also a director, he knew the needs of another director. He invested his time and money and was more like a moral support to me. His confidence helped me sail through the debut with a lot of ease,” says the director.
Another individual whom he says played a significant role in the making of the film is cameraman K S Chandrashekar.
“While as a director I am the body, the cinematographer is the two eyes. I have been watching him since the time he started with the film 7'0 Clock. He is a quiet person who shows his talent through his immaculate work. We complemented each other while making MMK,” he says.
When there was too much smoke while shooting in Malaysia, Chandrashekar shot using digital intermediate and made it look misty. “He turned the situation around using his technical knowledge,” he points out. Highlighting the efficacy of music director V Harikrishna, Kaviraj says he is in awe with his expertise in melody.
“To be frank, I had Gurukiran in mind for my directorial debut but since Thoogudeepa Production always worked with V Harikrishna, I went with him and he has done a fantastic job. We asked for four songs and he gave us 11,” Kaviraj says, adding that all four songs have become chartbusters.
The director is also amazed by the creative inputs given by editor K M Prakash, co-director Mallikarjun, and associate directors Babu and Deepak. He also makes special mention of art director Eshwari Kumar.
“As an art director, he has worked in all of Ravichandran's films. He has even worked in Dinakar's film Sarathi. His ability to bring life to simplicity is amazing. For example,
we needed a street filled with Gulmohar trees, which was set up by him excellently at a villa near
Kolar,” he says.
January 8 will decide my fate and the fruit of my efforts. It will help me and my crew take the next step
— Kaviraj, director