A still from the film
Over the past 12 years, Yogaraj Bhat has tried to change filmmaking with his varied projects. We can’t help admiring his directorial genius with movies that have a good story and large dollop of comedy blended perfectly with romance.
The filmmaker, who enjoys the challenges of being a director, is excited about the release of his much-awaited film, Dana Kayonu. “The film will be a milestone for me, Vijay and the entire team,” he says.
The film, according to the director, is set in rural India, which we seldom get to see on the silver screen today. “That is where we see real content, there is humour, drama and more in such places, and these experiences are carried to the cities. Seventy per cent of India depends on agriculture and we are all agriculturists, directly or indirectly,” he says.
The director has managed to capture the audience’ interest with the title. We hear from Bhatru that it was his nickname in college. “Two out of ten boys are usually called Dana Kayonu and I was also one,” he says. He had been considering this as a title for a long time now, and it came in handy for his directorial.
Bhatru was certain that he only wanted to cast Vijay as the lead and the two had a playful row, which lasted nearly an hour, during the narration. The director says, “What else can we expect from someone, when we tell them that they have to rear cattle? I expected that reaction from Vijay too... However, he has done justice to his role.”
He has only praises for Priyamani too. “She is an actress of great talent. Any upcoming artistes must learn from her and how meticulously she practises her scenes. She often surprised us with her performance, so much so that we rarely needed to guide or correct her,” he says.
The film delves also into animal behaviour. “Today, other animals seem more humane than human beings,” says Bhatru, “Dana Kayonu (cattle rearer) is not aninsult but there is a certain pride in being that.”
Bhatru is not greatly attached to animals but, he says, “Whenever I get to see a wild animal, I see a child-like innocence about them. They are free of worries... Today, I feel human beings are the cruelest animals on earth”.
In the film, we will get to see a black bull romancing a white cow. “Bringing them together was the toughest part of the film,” says the director. He ensured that the animals were not put through any discomfort and many of the sequences were done using computer graphics. “I must thank my CG team and the Animal Board,” he says.
“I have heard that the board is strict about the rules, but the team actually guided me on how to depict animals in the film. It is a rigorous procedure but, once we fall into the groove, they are best people to have around. Officials with the Animal Censor Board are there to guide and not trouble us. We just have to follow their rules,” he says.
The films also featuring Rangayana Raghu, Chikkanna in the star cast, has V Harikrishna’s music and Sugnan's
camerawork.
