Puneeth Rajkumar is a lovely person to work with, says ‘Law’ director Raghu Samarth

Director Raghu Samarth, who made his debut with Smile Please (2017), is back with his latest movie Law that released directly on Amazon Prime Video on Friday. The Puneeth Rajkumar-produced flick, which features Ragini Prajwal in the lead, has created a fair deal of buzz among a section of the audience. Speaking exclusively to DH, the filmmaker opens up about working with ‘Appu’, the OTT revolution and more.

How did Law happen?

I wanted to do a movie with a strong female character. I, in general, do not like movies where the female protagonist has no role. Law is about the path chosen by a strong woman in her quest and is quite different from what we have seen in the past.

What prompted you to cast a debutante in Law?

Puneeth and Ashwini liked the script and decided to back it. We had a good production house and a senior (supporting) cast so we decided to make the film with a fresh face in the lead. The feeling was that a fresh face would be an advantage as the audience would not have any preconceived notions.

Also Read: Have no regrets about ‘Law’ not releasing in theatres, says actress Ragini Prajwal

How was the experience of collaborating with Puneeth Rajkumar?

I worked with Puneeth sir for the Kannada version of Kaun Banega Crorepati. He is a lovely person to work with as he is warm and honest.

Law is releasing on an OTT platform and skipping the theatrical route.

When we began Law, it was not supposed to be an OTT release. The coronavirus pandemic and current situation were unexpected. There is a lot of uncertainty as we are not sure when theatres will open. So we took the digital route.

Will streaming platforms soon emerge as an alternative to theatres?

It will not be a threat/rival to the theatre system but has the potential to emerge as a good option for certain content creators. OTT is a better option for content-based movies

How did you get drawn towards storytelling?

I was interested in writing during my school days. I was, however, not too much of a speaker. In a way, writing gave me a platform to voice my opinion and I soon realised that it was a powerful medium for storytelling.

How have you been keeping yourself busy amid the Covid-19 lockdown?

I have been spending time with my wife and daughter and watching movies. I am also working on a few scripts