'I will direct when the time is right'

Kannada actor Chetan has been busy with the shooting of Mynaa, which is based on a 2008 incident from the archives of police officer ‘Tiger’ B Ashok Kumar.

 Chetan is really passionate when he starts talking about the movie. He says, “Mynaa can be classified both as a poignant love story and a convincing thriller. Although commercial elements have been added for dramatic effect, the film’s characters and conflicts are genuine, believable and importantly, not cliched.”

Always known to do films with a different slant, Chetan confesses that he thoroughly enjoyed the film’s story from the day he heard it. “It is a testament not only to the quality of content but to the dedication of the film’s director Nagshekar, who has taken years to graph the film’s screenplay,” he observes.

Chetan plays the character of Satya in the film. “My character possesses depth and style, passion and strength — each attribute emerging colourfully via the screenplay, the characters, and society at large. I relate to Satya on two compelling sides: one is his innocence in an unpredictable world and the other, his complete devotion to causes he believes in,” Chetan notes. 

He goes on to state that Mynaa tackles a range of social issues from our criminal justice system and gender power-plays to hereditary health and cyber-space. “Through an intriguing commercial script, the film describes Satya’s journey as he navigates through such complex matrixes,” says Chetan.    

However, the most challenging part of working in this film, believes Chetan, is the exciting chase sequence shot near the Dhood Sagar railway tracks. “The scene demanded that I run barefoot throughout.

The entire area was filled with sharp rocks of all shapes and sizes, which tore into my flesh at every step. The most challenging part was that, in spice of blood gushing from the bottom of my feet, I had to make the running look stylish and effortless. Trust me, it wasn’t easy,” he recollects.

But Chetan fell in love with the Dhood Sagar Falls, located near the Goa/Karnataka border, “It’s one of the most stupefying natural wonders I have ever seen up close. I truly enjoyed the chance to shoot there and in the trains nearby for nearly 25 days,” he shares.

While writing has always been therapeutic for Chetan, he continues to write pieces — from analysis to fiction — during his spare time.

 So would he plunge into direction someday? “Direction is an imminent possibility, which I plan to consolidate in the coming months.  When it comes to pursuits, especially direction, better the preparation, better the results. In other words, once the time is right, I’ll surely actualise that dream,” he signs off.