When Rangitaranga released, it not only initiated a trendsetting format of filmmaking and narration, it also opened Sandalwood to the acumen of Hollywood technicians. Now, many filmmakers have shed their reluctance to approach technicians from abroad, and New York Film Academy passout, Adarsh H Eshwarappa is among the first to have followed suit.
Making his directorial debut with Shuddhi, which is releasing this week, Adarsh was able to rope in Cinematographer Andrew Aiello and Jesse Clinton as music director from Hollywood. Not stopping at them, he even chose heroine Lauren Spartano, who plays one of the leads in the film along with Niveditha and Amrutha Karagada.
Speaking about his experience of working with them, he says, “Our cameraman visited Chamundi Hills along with us and when the temple priest garlanded him, he felt so vibrant that the whole day, he shot with it around him. He did not even smear the tilak on his forehead. He also took part in the Ganesh procession and participated in the cultural activities,” Adarsh mentions.
According to the director, Andrew liked every place in Karnataka apart from Bengaluru city, which he compares to Los Angeles. “He enjoyed staying at Gokarna and Madikere. We even gatecrashed a wedding at Madikeri during our location hunt, where he relished some non-vegetarian delicacies. Andrew ate all kinds of food including the pani puri and masala puri sold on pavements. He even visited Thindi Beedhi and often drank tender coconut water,” he says.