Diganth’s four-day-old trailer of Katheyondu Shuruvagide has already hit 4.5 lakh views on YouTube. The three-minute long trailer has since been going viral on social media, and viewers in their comments have appreciated the actor’s role, one that they have long hoped to see him don.
Diganth’s co-star, Pooja Devariya, who will be making her Kannada debut with this film, has also managed to garner eyeballs of celebrities, both within the industry and outside. Senior actor Suhasini Maniratnam, director Pawan Kumar, actors Vijay Sethupathi and Siddharth are some who publicly expressed their thoughts on social media platforms.“I just feel positive vibes around me now,” says Senna Hegde, thrilled with the outcome.
Senna says that he was particular about how the trailer would be cut, not only because it gives a gist of the film, but also because it gives an idea of the final version of the film. “Many times, I’ve come across film viewers who watch a film after seeing the trailer, but are left disappointed with the end product. Although I am going to be honest about the storyline in the trailer, I have made sure not to put out the best scenes or highlight what the movie is going to be based on. I think the thought is already being appreciated since people are talking about the purity and freshness in the trailer,” he says.
What made shooting the film all the more exciting was the use of sync sound. “The emotions that come through sync sound,” Senna says, “is real and natural.” “When you are dubbing after the shoot, you’re in a different frame of mind. Which is why I insisted that we use sync sound even though it is a painful process. While 70 per cent of the dubbing took place on the sets, the remaining will be done in a studio.”
The film which was shot in six locations--Bengaluru, Mysuru, coastal area, Pondicherry, Munnar-- saw the director completing the film in a span of 30 days. "We had a good pre-production plan in place which helped complete the film on time. We later took a month-and-a-half for post-production,” says the director, who is now on the re-recording stage. “Now that the audio is out, we will soon be presenting the copy to the censors.”
Sandalwood is familiar with Diganth, but for someone like Senna, who is making his directorial debut in Kannada, the actor was new to him.“When I cut the trailer, I recalled how our association began. Rakshit Shetty gave me his number after which we met. Within minutes into my narration, he said, “Where do you want me to sign?” He totally believed in my idea and style of making the film,” recalls Hegde, who has now found a friend in Diganth. "I have somebody to hang out with when I come to the city. It was a great experience directing Diganth, who didn’t throw any star tantrums."
The bond that the actor-director now share, has pushed Senna to associate with Diganth once again. "It's a thought at the moment. But we will decide once we are done with the release of Katheyondu Shuruvagide," he says.
The same goes for Pooja, Senna tells us, with the two having hit it off very well on both a professional and personal front. "Off-screen equations reflect in on-screen work. Pooja is friendly and is able to create a good atmosphere on the sets,” he says.