There are quite a few things about his upcoming film, Hero, that take Rishab Shetty down the memory lane.
The movie, directed by Bharath Raj M, will hit the big screen on March 5. It tells the story of a regular person who turns into a hero after an incident takes place in his life.
Playing the lead role is Rishab Shetty, who has himself experienced a few instances where he did something out of the ordinary in real life.
“During my second year in college, I chased a thief who snatched money from a girl selling bananas. I was there to drop my akka on her scooty. I managed to catch the thief. At that time, I wanted to join the police. Since I was into judo and other combat sports, I was eligible to join the service through the sports quota. One of my father’s friends urged me to write the exams. So when I caught this thief and saw the police, I felt as if I was already in the department,” he recalls.
There is another incident that remains etched in Rishab’s mind. This is from the time he was directing Sarkari Hiriya Prathamika Shale, which was completely in contrast to his previous directorial, and featured a whole new team. “When the movie came out, people within and outside the industry felt that it was a brave attempt. The film started off as ordinary and became an out-of-the-box product,” says Rishab, as he goes on to mention the fire accident that occurred during the shooting of Hero. “It happened despite all the precautions, and my co-stars and crew members panicked. However, my pep talk brought back their confidence,” he recounts.
Ask him about the motivation that drove him to shoot Hero amid the pandemic, and Rishab says, “When nobody is doing anything, is when we want to do something and get that excitement.” The team felt no jitters as far as the uncertainty over its release was concerned. “If not theatres, we had the OTT option, or YouTube. All we wanted was to offer some entertainment. They say, ‘Cinema happens for just reasons,’ and Hero justifies it. Everything fell in place for the film,” says Rishab, stressing that he will not be able to make another film like Hero. “Even if somebody else wants to remake this film, it will only be double the budget. The credit for Hero goes to the 24 members in the crew,” he explains.
Rishab, whose previous directorial was Kirik Party, is known as an experimental filmmaker. “I also enjoyed choreographing the stunts for the film, along with Vikram Mor,” he says. Talking about how he fits the bill completely to play the lead character, he says he would have cast himself in the role even if he were directing the movie. “The story came up with me in the picture, and the film was titled much later,” he says.
Hero is unlike the products that come from Rishab Shetty Films, and does not carry a social message or a feel-good factor. “This is an action-comedy adventure. Though it’s not over-the-top violence, there are scenes with bloodshed. The cinematic experience is something to wait for,” he says.