Chasing his dreams

Debutant actor Kushal Raj used to accompany his producer-father A Shanthraj to the sets almost everyday. The love for the arc lights in him only grew and the lad began nursing a desire to become an actor.  

His father, who has produced films for stars like Ra    jkumar and Ambareesh, noticed this passion of his and decided to produce his first film Moda Modala Mathu Chanda. “It’s a typical love story but what makes it different is its narration,” he says.  

A large portion of the film has been shot in Manali since Kushal’s role involves a lot of skiing. He underwent special training which included lessons in skiing. “I had a ligament tear when I was shooting one of the skiing scenes but I didn't let that upset the shoot and went ahead and gave my best shot. Since this is my first film, I didn’t want anything to go wrong or compromise on anything,” states Kushal.  

Kushal holds a masters degree in business management. While his parents supported him in realising his dream of acting, they wanted him to complete his education first. “My parents always said education came before anything else,” he adds. Weighing 76 kgs, he had to work really hard to tone down. “I worked hard at toning down my body and building my strength. I used to hit the gym just to lose weight, learnt gymnastics, did a bit of martial arts and trained in the basics of acting before I was ready to venture out,” he explains.  

  The film has a couple of action shots and dances woven in just to demonstrate Kushal’s feat in both. “I practised long and hard to master some of most difficult action moves,” he shares. 

 A Shanthraj, the producer, states, “We have so much talent in the Kannada film industry. When my son wanted to act, the first thing I told him was to complete a basic course in acting.

I also advised him to be humble and accessible to everyone even when he becomes a big star.” 

   Shantharaj believes that only humility and simplicity will take one forward. 

The director Shivlingu and assistant director Mahantesh of the film say, “He has done exceptionally well for a newcomer. He had to shoot in the steep and dangerous snowy terrains of Manali but he took every step as a challenge and we didn’t see him complain despite his injury.”

    The two directors say Kushal’s energy and enthusiasm were indeed infectious and caught on the rest of the cast and crew as well.