777 Charlie director Kiranraj K addresses the spike in demand and sale of Labrador dogs after the film’s release

Director Kiranraj K’s intention, while making his debut feature 777 Charlie, was to put the spotlight firmly on illegal breeding of certain kinds of dogs that are then sold at exorbitant rates. Often, the pups are a result of inbreeding and have genetic disorders that hamper their quality of life. By having a runaway pup from an illegal breeder as the focus of his story, Kiranraj explored the issues the canine faced on account of it, for which he used a Labrador – one of the most expressive dogs ever. The idea, the filmmaker had said, was to bat for the cause of adoption and not shop for dogs of any breed and put the spotlight on indie breeds.

Unfortunately for Kiranraj, in the immediate aftermath of the film’s release there was a spike in enquiries for Labrador pups across the country, which was counter-productive to what he intended to say. Several animal rights organizations brought this situation to the attention of the team, which Kiranraj sought to address during the 25-days celebration of 777 Charlie. “We used a Labrador in the film for a reason – to highlight the issue of inbreeding. The film ends with Dharma (Rakshit Shetty) opening a rescue and rehabilitation centre for dogs like Charlie, who are waiting for a forever home. The idea was to get people to open their homes to strays (indie dogs) and not encourage a spike in demand of labradors or other high-end breeds. Our intention with the film was pure, and my humble submission to everyone is that all dogs are the same – if you care for them, they will love you unconditionally. That does not depend on a breed, it’s just how dogs are. You need to see the bond between the dog and the man and not the breed in 777 Charlie. My request is that people should not pay for dogs and instead adopt as far as possible,” said the filmmaker