Director Shankar Guru’s life story itself makes up for a good feature film. From being a former courier boy to becoming a director, his journey is a story of passion.
Talking to CE, the director said that his debut Badava Rascal was possible because of the film’s lead hero and producer Dhananjay. He also revealed that the film is about a middle-class family and its values.
“Naavu Kannada medium hudugru (I studied in Kannada medium). Being an average student, I wanted to pursue my studies but after 10th standard, situations at home did not give me the luxury of leading a normal life. So, I chose to balance between part-time jobs and also attending an evening class. In the morning, I worked as a paperboy, and later in the day, I was a courier boy, I went to an evening college, which was affordable,” mentions the director.
However, hardship did not stop his passion for cinema. “I was young and I had time. I was determined to be in the cinema and I did not give up. I started my film career with Mata director, Guruprasad, whom I assisted on Edelu Manjunatha and Director’s Special. Guruprasad sir had planned an animation film, and he was looking for a model-like personality, and that’s when Dhananjay came into the picture. Though the film did not take off, I got introduced to Dhananjay. Today, I am happy to have my directorial debut with him as the hero. This being his first productional venture makes it all the more special,” he explains.
“Badava Rascal is a story meant for Dhananjay. It is close to reality - high on middle-class values, and it will cater to the large section of the working class. This film mirrors their life and family,” says Shankar, adding, “Knowing Dhananjay personally helped me to sketch the character well. There is a sense of humour in him, which I have managed to explore neatly in Badava Rascal, and it will work.”
The director calls Badava Rascal a pucca native Kannada film with local essence. “The film is shot in areas which still hold that ‘proper Bengaluru tag’ like Sringara, Hanumanthnagara, Chamrajpete, Vijaynagara, Attigupe, Laggere, Nayanda Halli, to name a few. Our film reflects the lives of these families living in such areas,” says Shankar.
“The film comes with an ensemble cast including Dhananajay, Amrutha, Nagabhushan, and Poornachandra Mysore among others. However, like Dhananjay always says, senior actors Rangayana Raghu and Tara are the hero and heroines of Badava Rascal. The two, who play parents to the lead hero, carry a lot of weight on their shoulders. I must also mention the contribution of music director Vasuki Vaibhav and cinematographer Preetha Jayaram. They have taken this film to another level,” he says.
The director also notes that the faith Dhananjay had in him helped him to fulfil his dream. “The actor-producer (Dhananjay) kept all of us in mind, at every step of this project. He made us feel like we are working in our production,” says Shankar, who signs off stating, “Badava Rascal is a project by, for and of friends. It should be a winner for Dhananjay and all of us.”