Being a star-kid has its pros and cons: Sagar Puranik

The young actor-turned-director has a set of exciting projects lined up

Actor, director and soon-to-be producer, Sagar Puranik is knocking down milestones in the Kannada entertainment industry one after the other. ‘Mahaan Hutatma’, a historical short film, directed by him won the National Award last year, in the Non-Feature Film category. Sagar not only directed the project but also acted in the film, portraying the role of freedom fighter Chandrashekar Azad.

In a candid chat with Metrolife, Sagar opens up about his journey in the industry so far, being a star kid and his upcoming projects.

You started out as an actor, what made you go down the route of directing?

I stumbled upon my passion for directing and filmmaking by accident. I didn’t know I would end up enjoying the process so much. As an actor, you’re basically making someone else’s dream a reality but as a director, you get to paint your own dreams and vision on the screen. That is one of the main reasons I first dabbled in direction.

How was the experience of directing a historical short film?

When I first started directing, I mostly only did non-fiction projects. I worked on documentaries and a bunch of other corporate films. This was my first time directing a fiction film and it was a completely different experience. I could let my imagination run wild and be as creative with my vision as I’d like. What made the experience wonderful and completed the package is that my efforts were appreciated and ‘Mahaan Hutatma’ was recognised at several film festivals, winning over 10 laurels.

You’ve been through multiple physical transformations for work. Did you also undergo one for the role of Chandrashekar Azad?

For my films in the past, I had to undergo massive physical transformations. I’ve gone from being really buff to really thin and vice-versa. However, for this particular role, there was no physical transformation, it was more about getting in-depth into the character and looks of the great freedom fighter.

I studied his character and personality very closely and the costume team put a lot of effort into the look as well.

Do you ever feel the pressure of living up to your father’s footsteps?

This is an everyday struggle for me. Being a star kid comes with its own set of pros and cons. While it’s great that I already had network and connections in the industry, the situation also comes with a dark side that the media usually doesn’t focus on. But my father has been one of my biggest support systems, there’s no denying that. When I first started acting, I was a horrible actor, it took me almost four serials to improve my acting skills and become good at my job. But I’m still learning, it’s a tough job matching up to my father’s talent and good looks.

What are these cons you speak of?

I can’t deny that my father’s status in the industry did help open some doors for me, but along the way, there have been more cons than pros.

For example, my newest project ‘Dollu’ a movie I directed has been kept out of the Bengaluru International Film Festival just because I’m the chairman’s son.

This is highly unfair. The industry often fails to separate my personal and professional life and this negatively impacts my work.

Any exciting projects in the pipeline?

What I’m most excited about currently is my first production. This will be the first time I’ll step into the industry as a producer, and I’m really looking forward to it.

The details about the project should be out soon, I’m organising a press conference to make the big announcement. Apart from that, I’m excited to get my movies ‘Mahaan Hutatma’ and ‘Dollu’ out for public viewing, we’re all eagerly waiting to see how the public reacts to it.