Having worked under the shadow of his director brother Nanda Kishore, Tarun realised that it was easier to live through someone else than to become complete all by himself. And the result of this awakening is Chowka. But Tarun has not taken the initiative by being reticent, instead treating his first venture as an ambitious outing as though he was out for an uncharted adventure.
With eight actors in the star cast, 25 technicians, Darshan playing a cameo role and Puneeth rendering his voice for a song, Tarun has ensured that his debut does not compromise in terms of getting the buzz rain all over.
According to him, he was encouraged to take the big step in his first venture because of his exposure to theatre and cinema right from a young age. “Having seen drama and theatre in my home for years, there was a certain aversion about the entire concept.
The first time I got on to the stage was when I was in VII standard. I was actually inclined towards becoming a cricket player. But an incident changed it all,” he recollects and adds that when it came to drama and dance, his teachers used to choose girls only and never bothered to consider boys. “So a few boys came together to enact a skit, which was completely rejected. That’s when I decided to choreograph a dance performance. The confidence about my creativity grew in me when we got the first prize,” says Tarun, whose film is now set to release tomorrow.
The budding filmmaker who got hands-on technical experience in Sandalwood with his brother’s film
Rambo says that cinema is in his blood, but he intends to explore new avenues through the gift. “After having enjoyed success with my brother’s work, I think it is time for me to tell my stories, my way,” he says.
According to him, the script of Chowka is a director’s delight, which boosted his confidence, but he always knew that there was more than just the script that makes a movie. “There are 83 departments involved in filmmaking. A film’s effort is seen if all of us go hand in hand. Luckily my debut had good support from technicians,” he mentions.
At a time when films are getting crisper, Tarun’s Chowka is a 2 hour 53 minutes film.
But Tarun does not buy the instant formula. He says, “Why did people not complain when Dangal was little less than a 3 hour long? So was Lagaan. Even though English films don’t cross more than one-and-half hour, Titanic had a long running time. Today, the biggest of biggest blockbusters in Bollywood and Hollywood have had a long run time. And the recent superhit, Kirik Party is 2 hours 45 minutes. If I believe that I could engage the audience for 3 hours, it is enough. In case of Chowka, the content demands that time,” he says.