JOIN US'It is a challenge to recreate a masterpiece'
Director Nanda Kishore believes in exploring all kinds of subjects and genres. His earlier works such as ‘Victory’, ‘Adyaksha’ and ‘Ranna’ in Kannada are proof that he makes a conscious effort to give all his projects a different twist such that it appeals to people of all age groups. Even some of the remakes that he has worked on have been tweaked to suit the local tastes.
His latest venture ‘Mukunda Murari’, although a remake of Bollywood film ‘OMG — Oh My God’, is special for a lot of reasons. The movie, for the first time, brings together on screen actors Sudeep and Upendra. The project also boasts a huge starcast and the director says working with so many big names at once has indeed been a learning experience. In an interview with Nina C George, Nanda talks about the making of ‘Mukunda Murari’.
Working on ‘Mukunda Murari’...
Although the film is a remake, we have borrowed certain elements from the original work and then improvised. It is a challenge to recreate a masterpiece because people have already seen the product and formed an opinion about it. We’ve used the local ingredients to dish out something unique. I hope people like it.
Was it tough for you to conceptualise Sudeep’s character?
We were clear from the beginning about who should play which role. Sudeep plays Murari and represents the modern version of Lord Krishna. We are trying to convey that God doesn’t really have to ride a chariot and appear before someone. God is omnipresent. Only Sudeep can do justice to such a role because God can’t really show any extreme emotion and Sudeep portrays the required emotions with ease.
Tell us about the character of Mukunda.
Mukunda is essayed by Upendra. And here the character, unlike the one in the original, is vibrant and unpredictable. He represents the voice of the common man. His character brings out the hope and faith of ordinary people. He gives reasons as to why people must not lose hope.
Have you added some of your life’s experiences in the film?
I never add my own experience into any of my films and only draw inspiration from it to recreate a product that will suit the tastes of the audience.
How was it to work with Sudeep and Upendra?
Both Sudeep and Upendra are actors, directors and producers in their own right. They both know their job very well and have a vast body of work to their credit. They’ve both been very encouraging and it has been a great learning experience for me to watch the two go about their job.
We hear actors Rachita Ram and Bhavana appear in a special song...
These two actors have worked with Sudeep before and the pairing has worked very well. We have once again brought them together for this project. They essay the roles of Radha and Rukmani on screen and look good together.
What is the strength of the project?
The actors and my technicians who have stood by me like a rock.