Actor Chethan Chandra’s next is thriller ‘Shardula’

After working in television, he feels this film will be a good relaunch for him

Actor Chethan Chandra, who was last seen in ‘Samyuktha 2’, is looking forward to the release of thriller movie ‘Shardula’. The trailer of the film that released recently, garnered more than 2.25 lakh views.

Chethan, who was working with the small screen during his hiatus from films, believes his upcoming film will relaunch him as a movie actor.

In a candid chat with Metrolife, he talks about films, family time and more.

How has life been?

Life has been busy. I might have been away from the big screen but I was busy on the small screen in two popular serials. I worked in ‘Sathyam Shivam Sundaram’ for Star Suvarna and ‘Naanu Nanna Kanasu’ for Udaya TV.

The experience taught me a lot, but I don’t think I will go back to the small screen again. The serials have wound up now due to the lockdown.

Tell us a bit about ‘Shardula’.

The trailer has impressed many, but I can vouch that the film is better than the trailer. It’s a horror-suspense-thriller, which was shot in Bengaluru, Hebri, Agumbe, Mangaluru, Kanakapura and Bannerghatta. The film is not a travel movie though.

It is about a gang of software engineers in Bengaluru, who take a break during a weekend which changes their lives for good.

Do you believe ‘Shardula’ will boost your career graph?

I believe that the film will be a good relaunch for me. My biggest critics are my family and friends.

When they saw a preview of the film, they were deeply impressed. I also have a good line up of releases after the film, and I am positive that things will be in my favour.

How is this film different?

I have worked in thrillers before, but ‘Shardula’ is unique, as the story talks about friendship, has a beautiful love story, and is interspersed with thrilling elements that will keep you pinned to the edge of your seat.

The making and presentation of the film are striking. The dedication of the crew and actors will be seen in every scene.

Compare working on the small screen with the big screen...

Usually, the shoot of a film will be up to 100 days or so, with a break of almost six months post that.

In the last two years, since I was working for the small screen, in a month I would shoot for at least 25 days. When an actor works on his craft almost every day, it becomes easier for him. In a serial, one works on almost 15 scenes in a day but in films, a maximum of two scenes are shot.

Satisfying yourself is really hard. Working for the television has made me perfect my acting skills and made me feel satisfied with my work.

Anything that has changed in your working style?

After I didn’t achieve the desired results in my past films, I stopped listening to scripts. I started asking directors who approached me to come with the bound script for me to read.

Whenever I would listen to a script earlier, I would get excited about a scene, but would not be satisfied with the end result. Now, after reading the script, I discuss the film with the director.

What are your upcoming projects?

Apart from ‘Shardula’, ‘Vyaghra’, a multilingual film which will release in Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Hindi, is ready.

Two projects which are still to complete are ‘Prabuthava’, another multilingual project, which will release in Kannada, Tamil and Telugu, and a Tamil film, ‘Unnathan’.

The lockdown and the pandemic have been challenging for all. How did you handle it?

Before March, I would be away for weeks together for shooting and would rarely get time with my family. During the lockdown, I got to spend a lot of time with my wife and daughter.

I got to see my child crawling, walking and I thoroughly enjoyed every moment. The lockdown was a blessing for me.