Cinematographer Karm Chawla, known for his work in Ulidavaru Kandante, turns director with the upcoming sports drama, 10. The first-timer started the project four years ago with a lot of excitement, but the pandemic and other factors caused multiple hurdles. 10, backed by Pushkar Films is finally seeing a release this week.
“Honestly, if not in theatres, I thought it would be out on OTT. I knew it would materialise, but I stopped chasing it after a while because I knew it was not right of me to chase something if it is not the right time. I’m glad it is hitting the theatres.
Having said that, I also believe that one must know to get detached from a personal experience like creativity,” he says. Karm always knew there was always a director in him, and he started helming plays and short films in 2017. “I had even made a temporary camp in Mumbai hoping to try my hands to become a director.
However, I did not find the AD (Assistant Director) job very constructive, and I personally felt that I need to pick up technical skills too before getting into full-fledged direction. I have been writing scripts for a long time. Some almost materialised, and some got shelved right at the start. My directorial debut, 10 came to me just after I completed my DoP work for Avane Srimannarayana,” he says.
Is being a cinematographer an added skill for a director? “It is a different feeling altogether. Today, there is clarity about each skill, and we understand who is doing what job, which was not the case 13 years ago when I began my career. Not coming from a film background, I had no idea what exactly I was getting to. It took time for me to know what interested me, and that is how my cinematography journey began,” says Karm, adding, “Today, if you ask me, I’m very much a cinematographer. I love cinema as a whole.
Since I have directed plays and short films, I thought I should give it a shot at directing a feature film.” 10, which is written by Karm, revolves around boxing. “I’m personally very fond of sports. I have a good friend, who was a National-level boxer in college, and I would go to watch his matches. We have all grown up watching Rocky, and Raging Bull.
The script came to life ten years ago when I wanted to tell a story about a boxer, and the first draft was ready. It finally got materialised four years ago when producer Pushkar and actor Vinay Rajkumar came on board. That’s when we relooked at the subject again and brought out the final draft.” While the film has been shot in a realistic fashion, Karm asserts that it is not based on any true incidents. “10 is about a boxer played by Vinay and his relationship with the coach played by Gopal Krishna Deshpande.
The fight of personal egos is one of the aspects of this boxing film, and also stars Anusha Ranganath and Saveen Hegde in pivotal roles,” he says. Karm had previously collaborated with Vinay Rajkumar in the film, Run Antony, which he shot for 20-odd days. Labelling his lead as a hardworking actor, Karm says,
“There is an intriguing factor to Vinay. He is open to suggestions and is an understanding actor. Once he understood that I’m not looking for an overdramatic performance, he delivered just that. He practised boxing for 5 to 6 months, and even through the gruelling schedule, he also worked on his looks. He lost 20 kgs and grew a beard. He was very excited about putting himself through this character.
We have not faked any of the boxing scenes, and we had a coach available throughout the making of the film.” Summing up, Karm shares that 10 will always hold a special place in his career. “It is a personal film and an emotional project. It was a very beautiful journey,” says Karm, who is currently busy working on three back-to-back Telugu films.
“I’m waiting for director Sachin Ravi’s next film to begin. I’m also part of Rakshit Shetty’s Richard Antony, which is in the preparation stages. I have also pitched in a few stories to various digital platforms. Likewise, I would love to take up direction provided when the right time comes, and everything falls in place,” he says.