Jayathirtha Jayanna on casting Dhanveerah in 'Kaiva' | 'I'm extremely confident that I can extract a good performance from anybody'

Jayathirtha Jayanna has worked with talent of varied kinds over the years and the director believes he can bring out the best in anybody

Dhanveerah in a still from 'Kaiva'

Jayathirtha Jayanna's 12-year-long career has seen him dabble with multiple genres and subjects, ranging from comedies like Bullet Basya and detective capers like Bell Bottom to sci-fi thrillers like Banaras. Alongside, he has worked with actors of varied kinds and has built a reputation for extracting great performances from them - in fact, it was his directorial Bell Bottom that technically "launched" Rishab Shetty as a leading man and offered him a platform to showcase his talent as an actor.

In the same vein, his latest endeavour 'Kaiva' comes as a stark shift from what he has attempted in the past. The film takes us back in time to the 1980s Bengaluru with an intense love story at its heart but surprisingly, there is a "massy", action-heavy treatment to the film. And to support him in the new cause, Jayathirtha Jayanna has chosen to work with an interesting ensemble cast led by Dhanveerah and popular TV actress Megha Shetty.

Also Read: Exclusive | Why Jayathirtha Jayanna believes 'Kaiva' isn't "massy" but raw & brutal

"Kaiva is the name of the male protagonist in the film and I have already shared that the character and his love story are inspired by real-life events. The real character is 71 years old today but when I saw pictures from his younger days, he looked exactly like Dhanveerah. And when I met the actor, it turned out that he, too, belonged to Thilagarapete, where the film is set. Dhanveerah knows the Karaga culture, he is aware of the rowdyism and the underbelly that existed in that neighbourhood - it just fell into place that way," shares Jayathirtha.

But it wouldn't be incorrect or unfair to say that Dhanveerah does not necessarily belong to the world(s) that emerge from Jayathirtha Jayanna's mind. Despite the larger-than-life tone and setting of 'Kaiva', one wouldn't imagine the filmmaker collaborating with the actor, who is slowly etching a career as an 'action star'. Jayathirtha, though, asserts that as a director, he is extremely confident in bringing out the best in every actor he works with, regardless of the category they belong to.

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"I won't lie but I am incredibly proud of one thing as a filmmaker - I have utmost faith in myself that I can extract a good performance from anybody. You could consider Zaid Khan (Banaras), Rishab Shetty in 'Bell Bottom' or any of the fresh talent I have worked with in the past, I feel very confident about myself that I can bring out their best on the screen. More than having faith in them, the actors, I have faith in myself," he adds. 'Kaiva' is out in theatres on December 8th.

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