‘Kausalya Supraja Rama is my best film yet’

S Shyam Prasad | NT

Bengaluru: Director Shashank is best known for launching the film careers of popular Sandalwood actors including Yash, Prajwal Devaraj, Radhika Pandit and Shubha Poonja.

In his 16-year career as a director, he has directed 10 films, produced two of them, scripted some of the best known Kannada films of the past two decades and had his fair share of failures as well.

In a conversation with News Trail he opens up about his new film, future plans and the state of the film industry.

Q: Exploring personal relationships has been the strongest point in most of your films and their characters. How true is it for Kausalya Supraja Rama?

That is 100% true. I need to play to my strengths. Interpersonal emotions strike at the basic instincts of audiences. I am lucky to be able to exploit this theme repeatedly. I would readily and proudly say Kausalya Supraja Rama is my best film till date in that regard. The title means ‘Rama, son of Kausalya’. When you ask what the point of stating the obvious is, the answer is what Rama, the character in this film, was and what he becomes towards the end. The transformation in Rama’s character is what this film is all about.

Q: Darling Krishna is a brand for romance. How have you managed to blend him into your story?

Ram, the character played by Krishna in KSR has three shades. Apart from the looks and the change in mannerisms, it also demanded physical makeovers. Once it was done, the rest all followed smoothly. You can see the versatility of Darling Krishna as an actor in KSR.

Q: This is your tenth film as a director. When you look back, what is the growth and transformation you notice? I have become more refined in terms of writing and the craft of directing.

I think I have developed more potential to do better films in the future. I have also grown in confidence. This is the biggest compliment I can give myself.

Q: What has been your experience as a producer after Love 360 and Kausalya Supraja Rama?

The biggest lesson as a producer was that making a good film is not a big thing, marketing it is the bigger thing! Creating a good film is undoubtedly important, but it is just the beginning of a much larger journey. In the vast and competitive landscape of the film industry, I came to realize that marketing plays a pivotal role in determining the success or failure of a project., While pouring my heart and soul into crafting a compelling story, assembling a talented cast and crew, and ensuring high production values, I understood that these efforts alone were not sufficient to ensure the film's triumph. In fact, the quality of a film could often go unnoticed or underappreciated if it lacked effective marketing strategies.

Q: What are the current challenges facing the Kannada film industry?

We are facing an evergreen problem but unfortunately it will be offensive if I quote it here. It is an open secret but we are unable to address it. From basic infrastructure to addressing what the audiences are expecting from us, we have many structural problems. We need a wholesale overhaul and hopefully, we do it at the earliest.

Q: What are your plans for the next five years?

This is an easy question. I am planning what every other film maker is planning on, making three pan-India blockbusters.