Shubhamangala is a common word usually written on wedding cards, or on special occasions. This term is the crux and title of filmmaker Santhosh Gopal’s debut directorial, a romantic comedy, which revolves around a wedding.
“Indian marriages, cultures, and traditions have always made for a beautiful canvas, and there are a lot of interesting things to see and observe. But to have a girl going up to the groom-to-be and proposing to him at the marriage hall is a fictional thought that triggered me to say this story, says the director on the sidelines of the film’s release on October 14. “Everyone is a hero or the heroine in their own story, and I wanted to bring an unconventional side to a wedding. There are five stories running in parallel and still connected,” he says.
For actor Meghana Gaonkar, it was Santhosh’s short films that impressed her first even before the narration. “The fact that a girl goes up to the groom, and proposes to him at the wedding hall was an out-of-box idea. I was happy to play that character,” says Meghana, who also adds that the five stories of different ages also make for an interesting concept. Actor Hitha Chandrashekar plays a middle-class girl who doesn’t have many aspirations in Shubhamangala.
While Hitha shares that the character is very unlike her, it is one of the many challenges she has faced in her career. “I have worked in advertisements, web series, and cinema. I don’t mind being part of any medium, as long as I can keep acting,” she says.
Rakesh Maiya plays a man in his 30s with traditional values in the film. “I always enjoy fitting myself into a story, rather than taking the lead. I believe in taking forward with the content, Shubhamangala is one such subject, says the actor. Shubhamangala also starring Siddarth Madyamikahas music scored by Judah Sandy, and cinematography by Rakesh.