Exclusive! It is an honour to be launched by Shashank sir in the Kannada film industry, says Love 360 hero, Praveen

Director Shashank is introducing a new talent to Kannada cinema with his next, Love 360. The leading man of his film is medico-turned-actor Praveen Kumar, who has been dreaming of being in front of the camera for a very long time. The film is already creating buzz in industry circles, with the songs and trailer that have been released so far. Naturally, Praveen is elated with the response.

“It is an honour to be launched by Shashank sir in the Kannada film industry,” says Praveen, adding, “I have been dreaming of getting into cinema for a while, and used to attend weekend classes at an acting institute in Bengaluru, during my MBBS days. Initially, I hid this from my parents, because I was not sure how they’d react to it, but as time went by, they realized that I was really passionate about acting and got me to train further, albeit only during weekends, as completing my MBBS degree had to remain priority.”

Each time he completed an acting course or workshop, Praveen says that he was on the look out for offers, but got none. “Eventually, my family decided to produce my launchpad, but just as we started putting plans together, I lost my father. It took my mother, and the rest of us, a while to recover from this sudden loss. So, it was quite a few months later that we resumed planning my debut. Around this time, a distant relative, who is also a film distributor, suggested a meeting with Shashank sir,” adds the debutante.

The filmmaker, though, ads Praveen, didn’t immediately consider him for the role. “Shashank sir not only auditioned me, but also sent me for multiple workshops before finalizing me as the lead of his next,” says Praveen.

In an earlier conversation with OTTplay, Shashank had said that Love 360 is an intense love story that will explore the lengths to which someone will go to safeguard love and a loved one. The narrative also follows a crime that happens and how that plays out, which the filmmaker has shown in the trailer as well. And yet, Praveen tells us that he is under strict orders from Shashank to not divulge details about the film, or his role, until the release. “There are some elements in the trailer that are open to interpretation and it is best for audiences to watch the film in theatres and figure out what Love 360 is all about,” says Praveen.

What about his medicine studies? "For now, I have left that behind and my full focus is on making a mark in the film industry and I hope that Love 360 will be the stepping stone in the right direction," he signs off.