Director NK Kandi, who previously helmed the unreleased Simbhu-starrer Kettavan, is determined to make an impression with his upcoming film, Day Knight. Set for release this Friday, alongside other relatively bigger films, Kandi feels his script has the potential to hold its own.
The travel film was shot on a shoe-string budget of 10 lakhs in a single 42-day schedule in the outskirts of Melbourne. Kandi thanks his friend Aadarsh, a resident of Australia, who has doubled up as producer and actor. “I met Aadarsh in RB Choudary sir’s office,” the director tells us, adding that the veteran producer encouraged them to go ahead with the project.
Kandi’s script is inspired by a train robbery which happened between Salem and Chennai two years ago. "The mystery still hasn’t been unraveled, so I had the liberty to rework it. And of course, in my script, the money travels to Australia from India."
He continues, “There are only eight characters in the movie, including myself. Out of these eight, only one survives and the story is narrated from his perspective. Cinematographer Aravind and I flew to Australia and found the rest of our cast on location.” The female lead Annam Shajan is a college student and proficient bharatanatyam artiste based in Melbourne. “She had come to watch the shoot and jumped at the offer. For a glamorous character, we zeroed in on Rhea after an audition. Jojo, who plays a villain character, was working on a Hollywood film when we chanced upon him,” Kandi adds.
Day Knight was shot with a Sony a7S lens, and Kandi feels the camera has added soul to his film. “We shot with a hidden camera to make things easier for the newcomers,” he says Kandi, who has assisted many directors and cinematographers, admits the ten-year wait since Kettavan had been a frustrating phase. “I had many scripts but there were no takers. I hope Day Knight changes my fortune.”