De-ageing Shiva Rajkumar in Ghost a very 'big responsibility' on my shoulders, says MG Srinivas

There's no doubt that MG Srinivas and his core team have attempted something novel in Ghost, the much-awaited heist action-thriller set to release in theatres on October 19. Aside from the fact that it features Shiva Rajkumar in the lead and that the actor will be seen in diverse and equally compelling shades throughout the film, Ghost also boasts some slick and lesser-known technology. Fans got a taste of it recently when they spotted a de-aged Shiva Rajkumar in the trailer as he swaggered into the frame in all his glory, looking like the Shivanna of the '90s that we all have loved and adored immensely.

When MG Srinivas, Srini, spoke to OTTplay several months ago about the de-ageing process, he divulged that the technology was employed only because the plot demanded it and not for vanity's sake. And yet, despite his script warranting the process, the Shiva Rajkumar fan in him felt the burden of responsibility because, in his own words, he did not want to make a botched attempt at making the Century Star look young. 

Also Read: Exclusive! Shiva Rajkumar to undergo digital de-aging seen in Laal Singh Chaddha, The Irishman for M.G. Srinivas' 'Ghost'

"It comes with a responsibility because he is like a demi-god to all of us. He just isn't any other actor in Karnataka. And showing his 'young' version becomes a very big responsibility on my shoulders because if something goes wrong, it just doesn't work. There are a lot of sentiments attached. We were very, very sceptical about how we were going to execute it," said MG Srinivas in a recent interview with a media outlet. 

In the same vein, Srini would add that the de-ageing process was simplified when he got in touch with an Iran-based agency that had previously worked on films like RRR and PS 2. The task would require him to submit several of Shiva Rajkumar's old photographs, films, clips, etc. and eventually, the result is what we now see in the trailer.