Exclusive! Ishan: I loved the challenge of playing Raymo because I am nothing like him

November 25 is a day that actor Ishan is keenly awaiting, because his second film, Raymo will be in theatres. The film, he says, is a relaunch of sorts for him, considering that he came into the industry five years ago with the Puri Jagannadh directed Kannada-Telugu bilingual Rogue. In fact, if things had gone as per plan, Raymo would have been in theatres in early 2020 itself.

“We were nearly done and only had a couple of songs pending that we wanted to shoot in foreign locations when the pandemic struck. After that, we waited on word as to whether we could go ahead with the same plans, but then there were pandemic restrictions in most of those locations and we had to figure out how to overcome this predicament. Eventually, we managed one song in pristine locations in Kashmir, while another was done at an elaborate set in Bengaluru. Once the song was done, director Pavan (Wadeyar) quickly put the final edit together. We have been trying to figure out a good release window for a while, and finally zeroed in on November 25. At the time, we were the only team to announce that date, but subsequently, a few others joined the party. May the best man win,” says Ishan.

Raymo, according to Pavan is a musical love story, considering that his lead pair – Ishan and Ashika Ranganath - play a rockstar and Carnatic musician respectively. But what appealed to Ishan about the film was the fact that he’d have to play someone who is not like him at all. “My character Raymo is a flamboyant, hard partying and womanizing rockstar and I am nothing like him. So, getting into the skin of the character took a lot of effort. Pavan was immensely helpful, guiding me through each of the scenes. As an actor, playing Raymo was quite the challenge, but one that I absolutely enjoyed because of how much of a learning experience it was,” says Ishan, adding that working with veterans like Sarath Kumar and Madhoo Shah also helped him grow as an artiste.

The actor adds that he is yet to see the full film but based on the bits and pieces that he has, he is quite confident about what he is bringing to the table next Friday. “If you go by the trailer, you may think that Raymo is an intense romantic comedy, with a conflict arising out of how different the personalities of Raymo and Ashika’s character Mohana are. But then there is so much more to the film, making it a complete package. There’s love, action, drama, comedy, etc. I firmly believe that the film will strike a chord with collegians because of its youthful vibe,” adds Ishan.

Now that Raymo is finally coming to theatres, the actor has begun planning his next. “In the last couple of years, I have been getting work in Telugu web series. I was a part of 3 Roses and Parampara. In fact, another six episodes of Parampara are due to come out early next year. In Kannada, I am looking at collaborating with the producer and director of the late Puneeth Rajkumar’s James – Kishore Pathikonda and Chethan Kumar. It’s still early days and we are yet to zero in on a suitable script,” says Ishan, adding, “I have always been clear that even if work from other industries comes, my priority is to establish myself as a leading man in Kannada cinema. I am constantly on the look-out for wholesome subjects that will appeal to all audiences. Hopefully, something will work out soon. In the meantime, I am focusing on the release of Raymo, which has me both excited and nervous. The film is a relaunch for me and will let audiences see what I am capable of as an actor,” he signs off.