'Direction was an accidental career'

Director P C Shekar feels entering the cinema industry is easy but surviving it is the actual challenge

P C Sekhar is among the leading directors in the Kannada film industry. He rose to fame with the movie ‘Nayaka’ in 2010. His directorial debut in Tamil ‘Kadhale en Kadhale’ fetched him many awards. He later went on to direct comic dramas like ‘Romeo’ in 2012, ‘ChaddiDhosth’ in 2013 and ‘Arjuna’ in 2015. His 2017 hit ‘Raaga’ received acclaim for its depiction of a love story between two blind persons.

In a chat with Metrolife, P C Shekar talks about his upcoming film, his journey in the industry and more.

After your directorial debut in 2010, you have come a long way in the Kannada film industry. How has the journey been so far?

It has been great. I am someone who believes in exploring new genres, hence every film has been a learning experience. From comedy to thrillers, I have tried my hand at everything. I plan on continuing the same work.

You are also a software engineer. What made you take up direction as your career?

Film direction was not even on my list. I happened to be on the shooting set of a Tamil film and that is when I realised that I could easily do what they were doing on the set. I spoke my mind in front of the crew and they told me it wasn’t as easy as I assume it to be. I took it up as a challenge started directing a lot of short films. That’s how it all started.

You are working on a yet-to-be-titled film with Prajwal Devaraj. What are your expectations from the film?

There’s more excitement than expectation. Since this is the second time I am working with Prajwal Devaraj, I want to look at roles that he has never done before. In the upcoming film, he will be seen in three different shades.

They say theatre is an actor’s medium while cinema is a director’s medium. What do you have to say to this?

I don’t completely agree with that statement. The director is like the captain of the ship, someone who takes control and anchors the content provided by other crew members like the scriptwriter, the lyricist and even the music director. But considering him as the whole and soul of a movie might not be correct.

Your advice to young directors?

I don’t believe in giving advice because one has to learn everything on their own. The industry is a strange land; It gets stranger and stranger as dive into it. Entering the industry might be easy but surviving here is the actual task. One can get better only by practice. So, come, learn, experiment and you’ll know where you are.