It took 14 years for director Hemanth M Rao to helm his first feature film, Godhi Banna Sadharana Mykattu, which helped to establish himself globally. However, swayed by the success of his first, he did not rush into his second. Instead, he took his own time to work on Kavaludaari, which will hit theatres on Friday. “I wanted to make a well-thought of film, which is why I didn’t hurry,” Hemanth says.
Even though he had the script in hand, Hemanth wanted to be sure that the story was relevant. “As a director, I need to be up to date. There are scripts that I would have written a year ago, but when I re-look at the work, my perspective would have changed. I like to work on films that are timely,” he says.
Going by the fact that Hemanth is particular on staying updated, how relevant is Kavaludaari? “As a film, it has strong elements of suspense and mystery that audience can watch out for. I don’t believe in the thought that filmmakers shouldn’t be preachy. It’s not our job to provide solutions, but it’s important to present the facts and mirror what’s happening in society. Kavaludaari explores the lives of men and women in uniform,” says Hemanth, who feels that although respected for their work, they are under severe pressure.
Police officers, he points out are not given adequate compensation. “How is that enough in today’s day and age where prices are going up every single day. Neither do they get proper facilities. Society too, looks at police officers as ‘mamas’ ‘kallas’, who take bribes. The problem is with the way we view them. The reason I chose the title Kavaludaari is because I felt a police officer’s life is always at cross roads. They are faced with truth and lies, life and death, personal and professional life. This is the undercurrent story of my murder mystery,” he explains.
Hemanth doesn’t belong to the herd, but at the same time, he doesn’t believe that his films are different from what is been made by other filmmakers. “I fight for my individuality and for my film, including the story, music, cast, picturisation, which has to blend with the narration. Thankfully, I have received good support for two of my films. Every filmmaker has to have his own voice,” says Hemanth, adding that when filmmakers cater only to the likes of audience, they are bound to be disappointed. “I believe in offering a good story,” he says.
Hemanth believes in taking up one subject at a time. Though he was ready with a synopsis of Kavaludaari before Godhi Banna, he worked on it only after his first. “I work on every project as a beginner. This is a philosophy that helps me focus on one film,” he says.
Though Hemanth wasn’t exactly at crossroads, he felt he had to face a lot of challenges, especially that of shooting at real locations and one-take shots. “Everything needed a lot of co-ordination. With a senior actor like Anant Nag on board, I always wanted to make sure it doesn’t get stressful,” he explains.
Ask Hemanth whether producer Puneeth Rajkumar and Anant Nag are his film’s USP? “Of course. They are the USP, but it also came with its own responsibility. Having said that, the film brings together a lot of people. It’s a big deal that my film Kavaludaari will be the first one under PRK,” he says.