'It’s a character driven story', says Sanchith Sanjeev about his acting debut

The young actor says he is consciously stepping away from the blueprint of a launch movie.

Kiccha Sudeep’s nephew Sanchith Sanjeev will now make his acting debut with a crime drama currently titled Sanchii01. Sanchith was earlier supposed to make his acting and directorial debut with Jimmy announced last year.

Helmed by first time director Viveka, the film will be produced by Priya Sudeep, Karthik Gowda and Yogi G Raj.

The film is set in Mysuru and traces the events between 1998 and 2011 that lead to the rise of an underdog, Sanchith tells Showtime. Elaborating about his character in the film, he says, “I play a DVD shop owner. The film is mainly about how a person from a background like that gets involved in something way bigger than him and what he does, to find his place in society.”

“There's a sense of what Mysuru was at that time. How it was untouched by any other place. The story is predominantly about the character who was born and raised in Mysuru and was in the midst of everything that was happening during that time in the city,” he adds.

The 29-year-old actor has been doing a lot of workshops and readings with the team. “Spending a lot of time with Viveka, the director and the team helps me understand the film from their perspective. I believe that will help me deliver what the script requires. I have intentionally tried to step away from the blueprint of a launch movie,” he says about how he is preparing for the role.

He continues, “It’s a character-driven story and doesn’t require me to train heavily for fights and dance sequences.” Sanchith also specifies that, “it’s a crime drama, not a crime thriller.”

The makers will reveal the film’s title on February 5. “There's something very specific in the movie that we want to reveal only through a trailer or the look of the film,” he says, sparking curiosity.

Speaking about Jimmy, the actor says “it’s definitely happening” but for the moment he wishes to concentrate on his acting career.

Sanchith studied at The Valley School till 12th grade. He then started working in the Kannada film industry for a few years before going on to pursue a degree in filmmaking in New York. Sudeep’s directorial Maanikya (2014) was Sanchith’s first film as an assistant director. He also worked in Karthik Subbaraj’s Jigarthanda.

Upon his return from the film school, he worked as a co-director for the film Ambi Ning Vayassaytho (2018). After which, Sanchith concentrated on finding the right script to launch himself into the industry.