777 Charlie: "We have adopted Charlie, the dog, as our family member and she won't be seen performing in films anymore," says director Kiranraj K

It is rare, at least in the case of recent Kannada cinema, that the main lure of a film is a labrador retriever. As much as 777 Charlie is a human story, the emotional core of the film is derived from the concept of unconditional love that animals, or pets, shower on their human companions. For director Kiranraj K, who is currently wading through the daze of his directorial debut, Charlie is the manifestation of his own emotional energy that he has bottled up over the years and by his own admission, the canine means the world to him, no less than a family member.

"Among the 300 members who were part of the shooting set, Charlie was the only pure soul," he said at the recently-held press conference in Bengaluru to indicate the bond that the entire crew shares with the pet pal. When asked about the remuneration that Charlie received, Kiranraj had no qualms in stating that she is very much part of the family and is taken care of like one. "We have adopted Charlie as our family member and look after her with all the care and love in the world. And that relationship doesn't warrant any remuneration - in fact, if the film 777 Charlie is what it is today, Charlie is the main contributor to that," added Kiranraj. And when quizzed about Charlie's future career in films, he was quick to state that she won't be acting in films. "Most of us have been corrupted by the profession, we don't Charlie to endure that," asserted Rakshit Shetty, who sat beside his director at the same press meet.

It is common knowledge, especially in the current system, that one can't make a film featuring animals without scrutiny. The Animal Welfare Board of India warrants filmmakers to go through a defined process at various stages of the making and team 777 Charlie was diligent all along. "We had to first submit the script to the board for approval and only then could the shooting begin. The process also requires us to submit all the footage involving the animals in the film and once we get a sign-off, the censor board accepts our film for certification. And not just that, we went a few steps ahead and took great care of Charlie because we wanted to - so much so that she was the only one who was provided a trailer in Kashmir while the rest of the cast managed in their respective cars on the sets! There was a local veterinarian on the sets along with the trainer,
shared Kiranraj.

The paid premiere shows of the Hindi version of 777 Charlie began on the 2nd of June to great reception. The film was screened in New Delhi, Amritsar, Lucknow, and other parts of the Hindi belt with the current Minister of Women and Child Development and animal rights activist & author Maneka Gandhi too praising the efforts of the team.