Kiccha Sudeep: I liked Anup Bhandari’s vision and perspective in the making of Vikrant Rona

The actor-filmmaker adds that if he had to give Anup suggestions, he would have instead directed the film himself.

Anup Bhandari and Sudeep

When an actor is also a director, one question that pops up pretty much every time he does a movie with a relatively new filmmaker is whether he gives creative suggestions on set or interferes with the making process in any way. These days, Kannada superstar Kiccha Sudeep is being asked that question in reference to his next, Vikrant Rona, directed by Anup Bhandari, for who this is only his third film ever.

During a recent interview with an online media publication, the actor was posed the question again and said that in situations like this where he is an actor, bringing a director’s vision to screen, he does not have to make suggestions as a filmmaker. He added, though, that he would not shy away from improvising on his own character, after discussion with the director, of course, if he thought that the character would greatly benefit from said change. “If I have to give him suggestions as a filmmaker, I might as well direct it myself. Every filmmaker has a perspective and I like Anup’s perspective. Also, as an actor, I should let him do his job,” he was quoted as saying.

Vikrant Rona is Anup’s first film with Sudeep, although the duo had earlier planned to work on another project, Billa Ranga Basha. Vikrant Rona will release in theatres in Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Hindi on July 28. An English version is also in the works. It is unclear if it will get a simultaneous release. The fantasy-action-drama, which has music by B Ajaneesh Loknath, has visuals by William David. And those visuals have now been converted to 3D for the final theatrical version. The film has been produced by Sudeep’s manager Manjunath Gowda, who is also a leading producer and distributor in Kannada cinema. Alankar Pandian of Invenio Origin fills in as co-producer on the project.

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